Caught Clueless
by violetfireflies
Summary: Angela is new to Castanet and has already stumbled upon secrets she was never supposed to know. An unexpected gift sends her and her three new friends to the city where the secrets only get darker and trouble seems to follow their every move. Angela is left with the daunting task of piecing together endless mysteries, separating truth from lies, and learning about life on the way.
1. Try Not to Stare at People

_A/N: Thanks for clicking on Caught Clueless!_

_Caught Clueless isn't your typical 'save the island and fall in love' story. I guarantee it. (If you aren't satisfied, then I'm sorry, but you paid me nothing so I cannot give you a refund. Hopefully that doesn't happen, though. ^^")_

_This story spans multiple genres and does not focus on one single pairing until much later. Genres include friendship, humor, romance, drama, slight mystery, and a smidge of adventure. If you are a fan of Chase, Gill, or Luke, then you might enjoy this story. :)_

_(Just so people don't get confused; this chapter has been rewritten as of March 25, 2014, for improvements. The plot is still the same.)_

_Disclaimer: I, violetfireflies, do not own Harvest Moon or any characters associated with it._

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><p>My heart thumped dangerously fast in my chest, and my mind whirled like the spin cycle on a washing machine. <em>What had I done?<em>

Was it paranoia? A wild impulse? The exaggerated brochure and its many promises?

No matter what name it went by, it had still landed me on this anomalous island. The boat ride was jarring and exhilarating to say the least. Reality set in further with each lurch of the waves.

_I was going to be a farmer._

It sounded like something an expecting parent would repeat over and over. _I'm going to be a mother. _No, I was going to be a farmer. And in my mind, that task was equally daunting and exciting. I could already imagine myself choosing my seeds each season with care. Maybe, secretly, I would give them names as I planted them.

The boat captain, Pascal, had asked me question upon question as we approached Castanet Island. For all I knew, he could have been kidnapping me. I was only nineteen. Though technically an adult, I never felt like it. In fact, I was still intimidated by groups of teenagers younger than me whenever I went to the mall.

Presently, I was standing face-to-face with a short, round man who claimed to be the mayor. The button on his suit strained with the task of holding his jacket together, and his hair seemed like the interesting result of a salon product experiment.

"Why, hello." He clapped his hands together jovially. "I'm Mayor Hamilton, but please, just call me Hamilton. You must be Angela." There was a grin on his face that unnerved me a little, but nevertheless I tried to be pleasant.

"That's me. Angela Williams. Nice to meet you." I glanced around at the town. Numerous shops and houses were stacked on top of each other in a rainbow of pastel colors. It reminded me of a storybook town. My previous apprehension dissolved and a surge of cheerful energy took its place.

"Wonderful," Hamilton continued. "You're going to love it here. We haven't had visitors for a few years. It's a shame, really."

I nodded and peered over his head to see several people walking around. There were two girls, both with bright blue eyes and cotton-candy-colored hair. The taller one had thick braids and a long, patchwork shirt, while the shorter, in contrast, wore a pale yellow sundress. Her hair was adorned with flowers.

Another girl, who also appeared to be around my age, walked out of a building near the dock. Its sign read, "Brass Bar." She had blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and bright green eyes. When she spotted me staring at her, she came over, flashing a sunny smile.

"Hey. My name's Kathy," she said. "And that's my father, Hayden." She pointed to a burly man with a beard who just stepped out of the Brass Bar.

"I'm Angela, it's nice to—"

"Angela's taking over the old farm," Hamilton interrupted, completely oblivious. "Isn't that fantastic?"

Kathy's emerald eyes sparkled. "That's cool. I'll show you around. Then afterward, I'll take you to the bar where I work, and you can have some fun."

"Okay. Not too much fun, though." I laughed nervously. I didn't exactly want to get tipsy on my first night in a new town.

"Don't worry. We also serve food. Chase is an amazing cook. He can be kind of rude, but don't let that stop you from coming back. Just ignore him." Kathy grabbed my arm with one hand and my small bag with her other. She led me to the two girls that I saw earlier.

I felt bad for leaving Hamilton behind without a proper goodbye, but a glance backward told me he wasn't bothered. There was something about him that made me hope our paths wouldn't cross too many times in the future.

Kathy introduced me to Luna, the girl in the yellow sundress, and her sister, Candace. They lived and worked at the Tailor's Shop with their grandmother. Luna surveyed me up and down with a hand on her hip.

Her eyes weren't on my face. I looked down self-consciously and tried to see if anything was askew. Finally she said, "Nice to meet you. I hope you'll come by the shop soon."

After that awkward introduction that left me less than confident about my appearance, I was led around the corner. My breath hitched in my throat when I caught sight of the young man standing beneath an archway. His hair was pure light blond, and he had a cowlick in the front that seemed messy yet perfectly placed at the same time. My face began to redden. His eyes... his eyes were beautiful. Like refreshing crystal pools of water I wanted to swim in all day.

"Excuse me, I asked what your name was." His voice took me by surprise. I didn't even realize he had any other features except for his eyes. It turned out that he had a mouth too. He had been asking me something, and I was spacing out and staring at him. Not exactly a good first impression. My gaze averted down to his mouth. He was frowning.

"Uh." I stood there with my mouth gaping like a fish for several seconds before I could remember what my name was. "Angela. I mean… yeah, that's my name. Williams. Uh. Angela Williams. Hi." _Stellar performance, _I thought. After that, I closed my eyes and willed myself to evaporate into the air.

It didn't work.

"My name is Gill," he said, holding out his hand. It was then that I noticed the rest of his outfit. He wore a blue sweater vest with plaid shorts. Actually, they seemed too long to be considered shorts, but too short to be pants. Guy capris, is what I settled on.

Not wanting to make a complete fool of myself, I made sure my grasp didn't linger longer than his. It was too bad I couldn't instantaneously dry my clammy hands before touching him, though.

He continued, "I'm the mayor's one and only son. Come to me if there's anything you need."

"Wait, you're the mayor's son?" I asked incredulously. "As in Mayor Hamilton?" How could Gill be related to that peculiar, rotund man? Impossible!

"Yes, that's what I said. I have work to do now. Nice meeting you, Angela. I expect you'll restore the farm to its former glory?" Gill watched me for a moment, gauging my reaction. What was this? Some sort of intimidation tactic? I didn't say anything.

He turned to go into the nearby building, which I assumed was his house. Right before he opened the door, he paused. "A word of advice: try not to stare at people so much."

If my face wasn't red before, it was certainly on fire now. _I wasn't staring._ I was _not _staring. I was using my eyes for their intended purpose: to look at things. But maybe he used his to bake muffins or something, so he didn't understand. Maybe if he would actually open his eyes beyond that permanent glare people would accuse him of staring too. Then again, maybe he was simply a jerk, no excuses.

"Aw, don't worry about Gill. He's got a stick up his you-know-what," Kathy said, raising her eyebrows and smiling. "Everyone knows it, too. Don't take it personally."

I nodded. She continued her tour of the town, and by the time we were finished, it was late in the afternoon. Much to my surprise, the town was filled with a wide variety of people. Some were normal, like Jake and Colleen, who ran the Inn with their daughter Maya. They were all welcoming, which was a relief, in comparison to the first two introductions I experienced. Some were strict and conservative; Irene, an elderly woman, worked at the clinic with her grandson, Jin. And some folks were downright eccentric. Take for example one of the inhabitants of the fishery: A laid-back guy with puffy pants. Not really unusual, except that "laid-back" was putting it mildly. I hardly knew him and he was already encouraging me to take naps outside during nice weather. I really didn't know what to say. _Okay?_ _Thanks for the advice?_

"I have to start my shift at the bar soon. We have just enough time to get you settled into your house and come back here," Kathy said.

Together we started walking down a dirt path that bordered the ocean. I knew it would take a while to get used to living so close to the water, which worried me, but overall I was convinced that Castanet was a great place to live. Everything was quiet here. There were no cars zooming down the street or airplanes flying overhead. The only sounds I could hear now were birds chirping, my own boots crunching on the ground, and the waves of the ocean.

I was so intently focused on the sounds that I didn't even notice when we had come upon an empty house. I frowned. It was rundown. More so than the brochure suggested. To be honest, _slightly rundown_ wasn't the most accurate term. It was more along the lines of _damaged beyond repair_.

Next to the house, which I affectionately named _hobo shack_, were two more buildings. My barn and coop. The siding was falling off, and part of the roof was missing on the smaller structure. I didn't worry too much. I knew I could probably fix it. Probably.

Kathy pushed open the squeaky door of the hobo shack and stepped inside. She plopped my bag on the floor near the bed and a small puff of dust billowed out around it.

"It smells like dirt in here," she commented.

"That's all right," I said. "It beats the smell of garbage." Back at my job in the city, I had to wait at a bus stop every morning that was plagued with the odor of rotting food. Even now, I still wondered who thought it was a good idea to have a dumpster behind a bus stop.

Kathy laughed. "Yeah, you're right about that."

I unzipped my bag and turned it upside down on the bed so its contents spilled out. There were several shirts, pants and shorts, a few pictures of family and friends, and my toothbrush, among other things.

"Those your parents?" Kathy pointed to a man and a woman in one of the pictures.

I nodded. "And here's my dog, Roscoe." I held up a picture of my curly-haired black dog. His breed was unknown, but he was undoubtedly the cutest dog I'd ever seen.

Kathy seemed to agree. "Aww, he's adorable! You couldn't bring him with you?"

"Dogs weren't allowed on the passenger boat, but I'll make sure he gets here somehow." I was sure of that. I couldn't live without Roscoe.

Just as I was about to start putting my stuff away, my stomach growled loudly. That's when I remembered that I had skipped breakfast to catch the boat and I skipped lunch because I was being led on a tour. I was actually starving.

"Oh, man! I think I'm going to be late for my shift. Come on!" Kathy and I ran out the door, and sprinted the whole way to the bar. I was incredibly dizzy by the time we reached the building.

"Sorry I'm late," Kathy panted. "I was showing Angela around. Did I miss anything?"

It took my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dim lighting. Everything was still hazy.

"I see you finally decided to show up," a guy's voice sneered from the kitchen. "I can't do everything around here, you know."

"Cool it, Chase." Kathy snatched a notepad out of his hand and smirked. "Why not? Is the pressure too much for Chasey to handle?"

"Don't call me that," he snapped. "Honestly, between you and Maya, I can hardly escape the insanity."

I blinked a couple times so I could focus on the source of this voice. His name was Chase… didn't Kathy say something about him earlier?

"Oh, hey, I haven't seen you around here before. You must be the new farmer. I'm Chase. I'm also the cook for this bar. _Not_ the waiter."

"Usually," Kathy added. "Just because you're awful at it."

It seemed like he was implying that cooking was a more dignified job than taking orders. I always heard that a man's character could be judged by how he treated the waiter. This guy, though... He was being rude to the wait staff, yet he _was_ the wait staff. Surely there was some paradoxical phenomenon occurring here.

Chase stepped into a better lit area, and the paradoxes multiplied. His voice tried hard to stay toneless—not exactly what you'd hear on the morning radio—but I imagined it was a voice that worked well in those dark motel room scenes from the movies: sultry, desperate, with the breathy draw of mystery. There was something charged behind the apathy, though. Something that told me his voice would break when he laughed, or yelled.

His appearance was strangely delicate: wispy, tousled strawberry blond hair, tamed only in the front by three hairpins. The white button-down was nearly as unremarkable as his voice, but I liked it.

And his eyes. I went back and forth with myself, debating if they were violet or indigo. Violet. Indigo? No, definitely violet.

I flashed a grin, hoping he would smile back. "I'm Angela."

"You're seriously going to take over that farm?" he asked. He didn't smile, obviously.

"Yeah," I said. I ignored the sarcasm. "It'll be fun."

Chase turned around and went into the kitchen without another word.

Kathy gave me an apologetic look. "I know what you're thinking, and yes, he's great at parties. Just make sure he stays in the kitchen."

I walked away, laughing and shaking my head, and found a seat at one of the tables near the bar. The menu seemed to be written in a variety of languages. Bouillabaisse? Meuniere? Saury tomato stew? The stir fry looked safe. It was inexpensive, and at least I knew what it was.

As I was further contemplating the matter, the doors of the bar opened, letting in a gust of cool air and blinding light. I squinted to see who had entered. A boy with fiery red, spiked hair and massive muscles sauntered into the dining area and approached me.

"Hi! You must be the new farmer." He shook my hand with a bone-crushing grip. "The name's Owen. I work at the blacksmith's."

"I'm Angela. Good to meet you!" Once he let go, I discretely massaged my hand under the table.

"So, the farm, huh?"

I nodded, not sure what to say to that.

"Hey, I've got an old hammer, if you don't have one. You might need it. I'll bring it by soon," Owen said. "I'll have to introduce you to my little cousin, Chloe. She was pretty excited to hear someone new was moving in."

I agreed and Owen said goodbye before going to sit at another table. Not even a minute had passed and he already had a cocktail sloshing around in his hand. He was talking with an older gentleman and sparing a few glances at a tan girl in the corner who was performing a dance. A very exotic dance. With minimal clothing.

"Found anything you like yet?" Kathy was standing over me with her notepad in hand. "Chase cooks everything with all the love he has, so it tastes great. Unfortunately, there's no love for anything or anyone else left."

I looked toward the kitchen. What Kathy said seemed to be true; he wasn't scowling, at least. Then he turned his head and caught me staring at him. _Of course._ That was now two guys with which I had violated the unspoken rule of eye contact. Chase raised an inquisitive eyebrow at me as he placed a dish on the counter and rang a bell.

My eyes flickered back to Kathy, who was still waiting patiently. "I think I'll have the marinated fish."

"Good choice." She scribbled on her notepad and walked it back to Chase. I watched him read it and start preparing the dish. I wondered if he could gain insight into my personality just by what I ordered. Did people's personalities affect what food they ordered in restaurants? I would have to ask him sometime.

A steaming hot plate of marinated fish was set in front of me a few minutes later, interrupting me from my thoughts. It looked delicious. I noticed that Chase kept glancing at me, probably wanting to see my reaction to his cooking. If I had known him better, I would have pretended to gag.

I lifted a forkful of fish into my mouth. The flavors immediately launched into a playful dance with each other on my tongue. I fell in love. Chase appeared amused as he watched me shovel in the food like I'd never eaten before. Kathy said that he cooked everything with all the love he had. That meant I was eating Chase's love… and it tasted amazing.

There was an abrupt clang as my fork hit the ceramic plate. I had eaten it all. After I placed my silverware on the napkin I had forgotten to use, I glanced toward the kitchen. Chase was nowhere to be seen.

I was startled by the sound of another plate being set down in front of me. Chase's amethyst eyes met my chocolate brown ones. "What's this?" I asked dumbly.

"Shortcake. It's on the house. A gift from the staff of the Brass Bar for your first visit." He spoke the last part as if it had been poorly rehearsed, and he didn't even attempt to force a smile.

"You guys didn't have to do that! Thank you."

"Just eat it," he muttered in retreat to the kitchen.

The cake was as good, if not better, than the main course. It had the perfect balance of sweetness, and the texture was delightfully spongy and moist. After I finished, Kathy picked up the empty plates. I then paid her for the marinated fish and thanked her for the dessert.

"I thought it would be a nice welcoming present," she said, smiling. "Just be sure to stop by again soon."

"I will." I stood up, and upon reaching the door, I turned to wave goodbye to Chase, but he was concentrating and wasn't looking my way.

The cool night air made my stroll back to my new house a leisurely one. Light was disappearing from the island, but much to my happiness I had yet to see any hobos. I figured the island was probably much safer than the city. Besides, I still had my pepper spray if anyone tried anything.

When I reached my farm house about fifteen minutes later, I discovered that my door did not have locks. Panic washed over me. Someone could break in. They would steal my things and kidnap me. It was these thoughts that prompted me to barricade the door with furniture.

I wiped my hands on my shorts and looked at my handiwork in satisfaction. The dining table, several chairs, and a bookcase were pushed up against the front door. I grabbed a few shirts and hung them where curtains were supposed to go over the window so that no one could look in.

Tomorrow, I decided while flopping onto my new bed, I would clean this place up and get started on farming life.

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><p><em>AN: Updated March 25, 2014: Thank you for reading and showing interest in Caught Clueless. I've put countless hours of effort into this story so I tremendously appreciate your generous reviews!_

_A few notes about the story for future reading and those who are interested:_

_This story takes place in Animal Parade, despite that fact that I'm using Angela as my main character._

_I am not going to address the bells/save the H. Goddess/restore the island aspect of the game in this story. (You'll see in a future chapter who did all the work already.) And that means, (no offense to those of you who think he's cute) no annoying little Harvest Sprite by the name of Finn who obsessively flies around Angela's head throughout the entire story. lol_

_My number one goal for this story is that it's enjoyable and original. (Hey that's two goals! :P) I know it starts off being similar to a lot of "following the game plot" stories, but trust me, this isn't your typical love at first sight romance. I intend to have meaning behind the characters' relationships. There will be plenty of action/adventure in upcoming chapters, too. ;) (Oh, come on! It's a violetfireflies story! It's gotta have action/adventure with lots of secret surprises! What did you expect? xD) Also, as you will see in upcoming chapters, there will be some game mixing with the characters and stuff. To avoid confusion, "the city" in my story is just a place that I made up. It's not an actual city like New York, nor is it a place in the Harvest Moon game world._

_I greatly appreciate the support of all my readers and reviewers!_

_~ Violet_


	2. Bright Ideas

Thanks to my avid sweeping efforts, there was a large accumulation of dirt in the middle of the floor. I heaved a sigh and leaned against the broom. My house was slowly beginning to look clean. A few knocks on the door interrupted me from my spring cleaning endeavors and sent a startled thought through my mind. I assumed the only person who would visit at six in the morning was a police officer. That was soon discredited as I remembered that Castanet was lacking in law enforcement. That notion was rather chilling in itself, but I was sure that whoever it was had not come for a good reason.

Cautiously, I crept over to the window and peeked out. There stood Mayor Hamilton, and he was still wearing the same grin from yesterday. It appeared as though his features were permanently stapled into that expression. Didn't that hurt after a while?

"Just a second!" I called. In retrospect, barricading the door with various household objects wasn't the brightest idea. I summoned whatever little muscle power I had and began pushing on the dining room table. One of the wooden legs was lodged in an awkward position between the bookcase and an ever-so-convenient groove in the floor. My efforts to move it were proving futile.

Returning my attention to the window, I was struck with an idea and rushed to pry it open. My muscles strained from the exertion, and that's when I realized it was jammed.

"Sorry," I called again. "I'm almost there!" I hurried to the other window above my bed and struggled to pull it open. Chills broke out across my arms when it squeaked open. The space was just wide enough for my head. "Come around back!"

Hamilton poked his head around the corner of my house and raised an eyebrow at me. The man who was shaped like a potato was giving me the eyebrow. Needless to say, the situation made me flush with embarrassment.

"Can I help you with something?"

"I just stopped by to see how you liked your new house." He smiled. "And don't worry. You can pay me whenever you get the funds. I'll be waiting at the Town Hall."

My mood deflated slightly. I had to make a payment? The brochure had promised free housing. I should have known it was too good to be true. Lesson learned: Never trust advertisements distributed by guys wearing Pac-Man T-shirts.

"The house is great," I said. "Thanks for stopping by."

"I almost forgot. Here's a map of Castanet Island for you, so you don't get lost." Hamilton produced a folded map from his pocket, and I practically fell out of the window trying to grab it from his outstretched hand. He was much shorter than I thought.

"Thanks. This'll come in handy. I'm not too great with directions." I smiled and glanced toward the pathway. There was a figure in the distance coming toward us but still too far away to see clearly.

Hamilton waved goodbye then, but I remained leaning out of the window for several moments, contemplating what to do next. I decided that I should probably go buy seeds so I could grow crops as soon as possible. That was what farmers did, right? Since the front door was out of the question, I squeezed my entire upper body through the open window. Bad idea. Unfortunately, there was no turning back now. I groaned loudly as my hips failed to make it through the narrow space.

"Need some help, there?" a male voice asked.

From my odd, halfway-hanging-out-of-a-window position, I couldn't see who was talking to me. I could only see the dirt on the ground that was going to be smashed into my face.

"No, not at all," I said. "I'm just hanging out. The window is a much better alternative to the door, don't you think? It really cuts down on the risk of accidental injury by careless door opening."

The guy laughed and continued to watch as I struggled through the window. Soon enough, I managed to squish my lower body out, and just as predicted, I toppled face-first into the dirt below.

After I wiped a gob of soil off my mouth, I sat up on the ground and looked at the young man in front of me. He was leaning against a dangerous looking axe. His hair was wild and dark blue, complete with a flame bandana, and his cat-like, golden eyes watched me curiously. A small bandage adorned his nose. In actuality, he bore a striking resemblance to a hobo. His outfit was just as wild as his hair, with ripped jeans and a shark tooth necklace.

"Hey, are you okay?" He crouched down near my face. "Oh man, you're bleeding."

I reached a hand up to assess the damage. When I grazed my hand across my forehead and examined it, there was a trace of blood on my fingers.

"Not too much, but you got a pretty good sized scratch." He stood up and offered me a hand, which I accepted gratefully.

"That's cool," I said, waving it off. "It didn't even hurt that much. I rather like it. I could just call it a battle wound. That sounds a lot better than saying I fell out of a window, right?"

His golden eyes widened. "You're pretty cool. My name's Luke. I'm an apprentice carpenter."

"I'm Angela. I'm taking over this here farm," I said in my adopted country twang as I gestured to the beaten-up buildings behind us.

He frowned slightly. "These buildings don't look too good. I can fix them for you as a welcoming present."

Part of me wanted to say yes, but that would have just made me seem like a lazy charity case. That wasn't really something I wanted to portray to a town of hardworking people. "Thanks, but I was planning on fixing them myself. Maybe you could help me though."

"That's an extreme idea!" Luke did a fist pump in the air. I immediately knew we were going to be friends. "Well, I'd better get going. I'm headed to the forest to chop down some trees and all that great stuff."

I smiled and waved as Luke strolled down the path, whistling and twirling his axe in his hand. Then I used my sleeve to wipe the rest of the dirt off my face. I was wondering how I was going to get back into my house, with the furniture being stacked up against the door and all.

It didn't matter too much yet, so I consulted the map to see where I could purchase seeds. It appeared to be some place called Marimba Farm. I couldn't help but notice the music theme on the island: Marimba Farm, Castanet Island, Harmonica Town, Brass Bar... I thought maybe I should follow suit and name my farm after an instrument too.

As I set off on the trail, I realized I was headed in the same direction Luke had gone just minutes earlier. The trek was uneventful. I had to cross a bridge, which made me a little dizzy, but otherwise the land was green and safe. There was a boy standing outside on the porch of the farm house when I approached.

"Hey there." I held out my hand for him to shake. "My name's Angela. I just moved here."

"I'm Taylor," the boy said. He had spikey blond hair and bluish green eyes that gleamed with mischief. It looked like he had some sort of goggles strapped to his head. He struck me as the adventurous type.

"This is Marimba Farm, right?"

"It sure is! My parents run it along with my big sister, Anissa," he said.

"Cool. It was nice to meet you, Taylor." I opened the creaky door and entered the shop. Right away, I was welcomed by the luscious scent of flowers and fresh produce. The woman standing behind the counter, however, looked less than inviting. Her drab brown hair fell lifelessly to her chin. Her eyes held a similar note of disinterest.

"Hello. My name is Ruth. How can I help you?" she asked with as much enthusiasm as a funeral attendee.

"I'm Angela. I'm going to take over the old farm. I was hoping you could help me select some seeds to plant for this season." I smiled and walked up to the counter, trying not to convey my inner irritation at the monotony of yet another introduction.

Ruth's lips twitched upward. "How nice. I recommend turnips and potatoes, if you're just starting out."

I accepted the bags of seeds and put them into my rucksack. "How much do I owe you?"

"Three hundred G."

Seemed like a lot, but I knew I had to get started somewhere.

I left the shop and sighed, taking in the fresh spring air. The whole idea of being a farmer was still overwhelming, and as much as I hated my apartment in the city, I actually felt a bit of aching nostalgia when I thought about it.

There was another building on the same property as the farm, but the colors were off-scheme—it seemed like a completely different residence. My curiosity was piqued, so I read the name on the mailbox. Chase. Memories of last night drifted to the front of my mind. Something told me I should thank him for the cake. I didn't want him to think I had left ungrateful.

I knocked quickly and probably too loudly on his door. For what seemed like forever, I rocked back and forth on my heels in anticipation. Maybe he wasn't even home. I was beginning to think it was a dumb idea anyway. We were practically strangers. What would I say? "Thanks for the cake… and… goodbye?" _Yeah, really smart._

Just as I turned to leave, I heard a noise from inside his house. My pulse sped up. The door cracked open, and Chase stood there, bleary-eyed and shirtless. He raked his fingers through his hair and leaned against the doorframe. "What?" he mumbled. Yes, _yes_, I was so right about the dark motel scene voice.

His body was lean and eye-catching for sure, but I tried my hardest not to stare, honestly. There was something unusual, though. It was pulling at my vision. _What was it?_ Just for a second I let my eyes travel down. A scar. A long, pale line cut across his abdomen. In addition, there were other imperfections marking up his stomach. My first thought: _What happened? _And then: _Oh god, I'm staring again._

Unable to form a coherent sentence, I stood there, mouth agape. Chase smoothed his wild hair out of his face and squinted at me. It was obvious he was confused and irritated. And I wasn't helping the situation by standing there like a deer in the headlights.

"I— I'm sorry," was all I could manage to stutter out. I shook my head. "Sorry. I didn't know… um, are you okay?" I could've slapped myself. Wrong. That was the worst thing I could've ever thought to say.

"What?" he demanded. His eyes had adjusted to the light enough to open them fully, but he chose to keep them half-closed in a glare instead. I took a moment to consider the awkwardness of the situation; I stopped by his house at some random hour of the morning and apologized out of nowhere. Obviously, I did _not _think that through.

"Y-your… uh…" I couldn't finish my sentence. Maybe he didn't care if anyone saw his scar. I was probably just overreacting. It was normal for guys to not wear shirts.

His eyes widened suddenly and he wrapped an arm around his stomach to cover the pale line marring his otherwise ideal body. My face was burning. He shrunk into the shadows of his house and closed the door. I wasn't sure if he was going to come back or not, so I stood there, my feet frozen to the ground. Chase opened the door again several moments later, just as he was finishing the top few buttons on his black button-down shirt. I opened my mouth to speak, but I had forgotten why I came in the first place.

"Yeah, it's, um…" He paused and cleared his throat. "No one ever comes this early. I thought it was... and I forgot... to put... my shirt..." he trailed off like he was realizing that he didn't need to explain. And he didn't. I knew what happened. I woke him up, and he opened the door half-asleep, expecting someone else. This reminded me of the countless times I had been at home, wearing my thick-lensed glasses, and someone rang the doorbell. I had thrown open the door each time expecting my friend Erin, but it usually turned out to be a stranger selling vacuums, and I was mortified.

"Don't say anything to anyone about this," he said quietly. "Not many people know about it. I'd like to keep it that way. Everyone's nosy here. I don't like... explaining."

I blinked, trying to comprehend that he was being serious. I started to laugh. "It's just—" His expression made me stop. He was serious. It wasn't just a scar. It was a secret. Immediately my face burned. "Of course. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Okay," he mumbled. "Thanks." His eyes turned emotionless again, and he lapsed into silence. I realized that I was the one who came to his house and he was waiting for me to say something.

"I just wanted to properly thank you for the cake last night," I said. "It was really good."

"That's all?" He stifled a yawn and crossed his arms.

_Was he for real?_ This guy did _not_ want to be on my list. The arrogant mayor's son, Gill, had already made it onto my list, and he was going to regret being such a jerk on our first meeting.

"Just so you know, I work late," Chase said. "And I never get up before eight. If you ever find it necessary to visit me again, please do us all a favor and try to remember that." He stood there, blinking at me for a moment with his sleepy violet eyes, and then closed the door. I tried not to be offended. After all, I was the one who woke him.

As I began walking down the path, I wondered who else knew about his scar. Whoever he'd expected to be at the door was one person. And what could have possibly happened to cause it? An accident of some sort? Surgery?

My mind flooded with possible explanations for Chase's scar. Maybe it was from a plane crash. A car accident? Or maybe he got into a fight with someone… he could have been attacked by a hobo...

"What's a hobo?" There was a girl with short, mousy brown hair standing in front of me.

"Nothing!" I laughed, but I was also annoyed with myself for saying my thoughts out loud. "I'm Angela."

"My name's Renee. You're the new farmer, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah." I showed her my new bags of seeds proudly like a child who just won a gumball from the gumball machine. She looked excited, but not very impressed. Then I remembered that she lived right next to the farm.

"Follow me," she said suddenly, grabbing my wrist. I was dragged into a large barn filled with farm animals. I squealed in delight and excitement when I saw a little black and white calf standing less than five feet away. I had never seen a real cow before.

"So that's what they look like…" I marveled.

A man who introduced himself as Cain, Renee's father, handed me a brush. "You can brush her if you like."

When I approached the calf, she greeted me with a moo. I started giggling and held a hand out so she could sniff me. Was that only necessary for dogs? Renee didn't say anything about it, so I started petting her fuzzy nose. The calf was so cute I wanted to cry.

"What do you want to name it?" Cain asked.

"What? I don't have money to buy a cow!"

He chuckled and Renee looked at me excitedly. "We're giving it to you, silly. Don't even try to refuse. As soon as we heard about you, we talked it over and decided. We want to help you out any way we can."

"Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me." I hugged the little calf and tried to think of good names suitable for a cow. The first name that popped into my head was Amelia. I was a firm believer that you should always go with the first thing you think of when it comes to names, so Amelia it was.

"We'll deliver her tomorrow morning," Renee said.

I thanked them one more time before leaving to go buy some fodder. Renee's mother, Hanna, ran the store. She was so nice and helpful; I saw where Renee had inherited it. The day was already turning into afternoon by the time I started back home. As I got closer to my farm house, I realized I couldn't go in. The furniture was still blocking the front door.

Clouds had rolled in, bringing with them a light drizzle of rain. My mind began to wander. I knew I was putting off the inevitable by neglecting my door situation, but I honestly didn't know what to do. I kept thinking about Gill. He was the mayor's son, and if I wanted to be successful, I might have to make amends with him.

On my way to Harmonica Town, I managed to get lost several times. I felt really pathetic once I realized it was about ten minutes away from my house, and I somehow made it into a disoriented, stumbling, hours-long journey—a wasted afternoon. Just ahead I could see Gill's house. I took a deep breath as I ascended the steps.

Less than ten seconds after I knocked, Gill opened the door. It made me laugh because his response was freaky fast, but his bored expression resembled that of a high school student in math class.

"May I help you with something?" he asked.

I smiled brightly. Actually, I think I was already smiling, so I probably added several centimeters to the width of my mouth. "I just wanted to say hi. I'm sorry about yesterday. It's just that…" I trailed off. There was no way I could tell him he had beautiful eyes.

"Just what?"

"I had never seen someone with blue eyes like yours before," I blurted out. _Smooth._

He crossed his arms. "That's not necessarily a compliment, you know. Your eyes are really brown. Is that a compliment?"

"I was just trying to be nice." My fist clenched at my side. "Let me be more specific then. Your eyes remind me of—"

"Ice? People tell me that all the time. And that's not a compliment either."

"No! Ice isn't even blue, and ice is cold. Your eyes don't seem cold to me. I was going to say your eyes remind me…"

"Of what?" he prompted. "I don't have all day to play twenty questions."

"They remind me of refreshing, crystal pools of water," I said. Again, I wanted to melt. I didn't even know this guy and I was poetically describing his eyes to him? _Had I even lived in the real world before moving here?_

The corner of his mouth tugged into a smile, causing a flurry of butterflies to explode in my stomach. "I haven't heard that one before," he said thoughtfully.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound weird. No one has ever complimented you on them before?"

"Ah, it was only slightly weird. No one's told me that my eyes looked refreshing before. Only cold and icy." Gill uncrossed his arms. "Though one time someone said that my eyes reminded them of moldy cheese."

I tried to frown, but I couldn't resist having a small laugh. "Who told you that?"

"Chase." He shook his head and added, "He has a twisted sense of humor. Have you met him yet?"

"I have. Are you friends?"

"Unfortunately, yes, ever since he came to the island about ten years ago."

"He was probably jealous because his eyes are the color of prunes." I laughed. "I'm joking. Violet isn't a color you see much. The result of a mutation, maybe? Do his parents have violet eyes?"

Gill shrugged, looking uncomfortably stiff. I knew instantly that I had been rambling, had spoken a few words too many. "I don't know."

That was kind of interesting, I thought. Chase came to the island ten years ago. He didn't look that much older than me, so that meant he would've come when he was still a child. And Gill practically confessed that he'd never seen Chase's parents. Had he come here alone?

"I see," I said finally. "Are you busy right now?" A giant raindrop landed on my forehead and rolled down my face, leaving a cold wet trail.

"Not particularly. You should go indoors. You wouldn't want to catch a cold in this weather." I was slightly disappointed; I half expected him to invite me in. At least he had gotten himself off my list. Gill was so businesslike and professional that I had to wonder if he kept that up with everyone.

I waved goodbye, and he nodded in response. Then I turned around, not missing the fact that he hadn't closed the door yet. He was watching me leave. But I didn't know what else to do. After I descended the steps, I hopped onto the low fence and sat there, letting the raindrops soak through my clothing and drench my skin.

I glanced toward the door again, but it was closed. The people here were interesting. It seemed like everyone was real, compared to how people were in the city: always in a rush and only concerned about their next paycheck. Right there, sitting on the fence outside Gill's house in the rain, I made the determination that everyone here was worth getting to know.

"Look out Castanet," I said to myself, barely audible above the pouring rain. "Angela has arrived."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! :)_

_~ Violet_


	3. Nightmare

_The chilly night air made sitting at the bus stop rather uncomfortable. The plastic of the bench underneath my jeans felt like ice. Street lamps illuminated the sidewalk, casting shadows and gathering moths. The occasional car whizzed past and disturbed the relative silence._

"_Hey."_

_I tensed and lowered my head._

_"__Hey, Miss."_

_There was a man wearing an oversized black sweatshirt, dirtied jeans, and hiking boots. His eyes were a cloudy pale blue color and his smile was strange. It was almost as if he thought he knew me from somewhere, but I was sure we were strangers._

_I stuttered, unable to force any complete words out. He stepped around to the other side of the bench and sat next to me. I could hear my mother's voice in my head, telling me to be careful and not to let anyone take me. Since I was a child, she'd drilled these warnings into me._

_The bus wasn't due to arrive for another five minutes, but I hoped it would be early tonight. He smelled of alcohol._

"_I'm real sorry to be botherin' ya, but do you think you could help me out? I dun' have money for the bus. Guy at the bar beat it outta me." He laughed and coughed. His eyes swam all around my face._

_"__No, sorry," I said._

_He swayed, towering over my shivering body. I searched desperately for an escape, someone I could call for, but the streets were deserted. My pulse quickened, and I tried to shrink into the bench. At that moment, all I wanted was to disappear._

"_Empty your pockets," he demanded._

_I couldn't bring myself to comply. My hands were shaking too much, and the movement in his pocket had captured my focus. A tiny whimper escaped my throat and all of a sudden I couldn't breathe._

"_I said empty your pockets!"_

_My trembling hands began to fumble for something I could offer him. I tried to grab change from my right pocket and my cell phone from my left pocket. As pulled the objects out, my fingers became paralyzed, and I dropped my cell phone on the ground. I bent down to retrieve it but ended up spilling all the change._

_Just as I looked up, my eyes caught the unmistakable glimmer of sharp metal._

I felt a hand on my shoulder and my eyes shot open, but I couldn't see. Everything was dark and wet and cold. There was a figure standing over me and I remembered the drunk man.

"I'm sorry! Don't hurt me!" I fell to the ground and began searching for the cell phone I dropped. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" A sob escaped as people shouted around me.

"Chase! What did you do?"

I glanced up. There was a young man slamming the front door to a house and walking toward me. Another young man was kneeling beside me with his face creased in concern.

I was utterly confused. One second I was at the bus stop getting mugged, and the next second I was in someone's front yard surrounded by young men? I might have laughed had I not been so scared.

"I didn't do anything. I was just walking home, and I noticed her sitting here—"

"She hasn't even been here for two whole days and you've already managed to make her cry?"

The guy in the sweater vest knelt down next to me. I stopped looking for my cell phone and instead tried to figure out what was going on. My body was shaking with fear and cold. I looked back and forth from warm violet eyes to sparkling blue eyes. Neither matched the drunk man at the bus stop.

"What's going on?" I asked.

The two guys exchanged confused glances.

"She didn't hit her head, did she?"

"You're about to get your head hit, Gill. I didn't do anything to her."

Everything came flooding back the instant I heard Gill's name. I remembered who these people were. I also remembered what happened. After I visited Gill, I sat on the fence, found a comfortable cubby between a tree and the post, and fell asleep.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Gill asked.

I wiped a few tears and drew in a shaky breath. "He… he tried to… hurt me…"

"Chase! You _are_ an idiot! How could you do that?"

"No, I didn't mean Chase." I let out a small laugh at Gill's reaction but it sounded more like a sob.

Chase stood up and to my surprise offered me a hand, which I gratefully accepted.

"Why don't you come in for a second to dry off? Then you can explain what happened," Gill said.

He opened the front door for me, and I stepped into the inviting warmth of his home. The lights were off so I couldn't see anything. His house had a floral scent, but I couldn't identify what it was. It was familiar. Gill flipped the light switch and everything became almost unbearably bright. My head throbbed.

"We don't need stadium lighting," Chase muttered.

He led me to a sofa and we both sat down. Gill traded the ceiling light for the glow of a tableside lamp instead. He disappeared into another room and returned a few seconds later holding a large, fluffy towel.

"Thanks." I sniffed and began drying my hair. There was total silence except for muffled snoring from the other room. That was probably Hamilton. "I'm so sorry about this. It's late and I didn't mean to cause such a fuss." I buried my face in the towel and breathed in its fresh, floral scent. My eyes were probably red and puffy, and I knew my hair was a frizzy mess.

"Hmm." Chase stared at the floor with his head propped on his hand. His finger rubbed absently against his jaw.

I figured the warmth of this towel was the closest thing to hug I was going to get tonight.

"Care to explain?" Gill asked. He sat on a chair across from us, arms crossed.

"I just had a nightmare… that's all."

Chase scoffed. "That's all?"

My face got hot. Turning away from their probing stares, I let silence engulf the room. I was waiting for a sarcastic remark from Chase or maybe a 'that's what you get for being so careless and falling asleep in the rain' from Gill, but nothing more was said. They were both quiet and waiting for me to speak on my own terms.

"A few years ago, I was mugged," I said. "Nothing too traumatizing happened, but it scared me. I've had nightmares about it ever since. I know it sounds silly. I can't help it, though. It's like my brain won't let me forget how much worse it could've been."

Gill's eyes flashed to Chase. After a long pause, he said, "No, that's not silly."

I leaned back into the cushion and closed my eyes for a few seconds. The man's face was there; his milky blue eyes stared at me. "Do you want to hear more?" I asked.

Chase shifted and Gill looked at him. It was like they were having a silent conversation with their eyes. But maybe they were communicating nothing. Gill didn't show anything through his facial expression, and neither did Chase.

His gaze slipped back to me and he said, "You don't have to tell us right now. It's late anyway."

I nodded and stood. My head spun from fatigue. "Okay. I'm sorry to have imposed on you both. Good night."

"Stop apologizing." Chase's harsh voice startled me. "It's stupid to apologize when you didn't do anything."

I didn't know what to say, but I decided backhanded comfort was better than no comfort.

"He's right," Gill said. "But you really shouldn't have stayed out in the rain. You might catch a cold now." He went into his bedroom and left me standing there confused. Was I supposed to leave or was he coming back?

Chase opened the front door, and a rush of cool air blew in and tingled my skin.

Just as I moved to follow Chase outside, Gill reappeared in the doorway, holding out a navy blue coat. "It's chilly outside. You can return it tomorrow."

I nodded as thanks and put it on. The coat was loose on me, but it was a comfortable looseness. It enveloped me in warmth and the scent of him.

"Are you coming or what?" Chase asked.

I waved goodbye to Gill and stepped outside. Chase had certain qualities that were difficult to tolerate, and he definitely wasn't the caring type, but I realized he wasn't a jerk. He just wanted people to think he was.

Chase shoved his hands into his pockets and descended the stairs. I followed meekly a few steps behind. My eyes darted around the dark landscape, and every time a shadow moved or a twig snapped, my muscles tensed.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked, burying my hands into the pockets of Gill's coat. I felt some money and a tissue, but I didn't check whether it was used or not.

"No," Chase answered. He turned around for a second. "Is there money in the pockets?"

I laughed a little. "Yeah, and a tissue."

"How much?"

"I didn't count. Why? Do you want it?"

"No, I was just wondering. He owes me, but he says he doesn't have any money right now. Probably because he spent it all on hair products."

"For real?" The image of Gill doing his hair every morning with hair gel and spray made me laugh.

Chase stopped, and I realized we were in front my house already. His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Do you actually think that cowlick of his is natural?"

"He does it like that on purpose?"

He shrugged and gave a sly smile. "You didn't hear that from me."

I smiled at him. "Thank you, Chase, for walking me home and not laughing at me. I'm pretty embarrassed."

"Look at it this way," he said. "You know a secret of mine, and now I know a secret of yours."

He turned away and began walking toward Flute Fields and I twisted the doorknob, wanting nothing more than to fall into bed and sleep. The door wouldn't budge. I groaned and slammed my fist onto the cold wood.

Before he got too far, I called out to Chase. It took him longer to trudge back to my door than it had taken him to leave, and he didn't look pleased.

"What?"

I motioned to the house. "I can't go in."

He grabbed the knob and turned it. The door wouldn't open no matter how hard he pushed. "What's wrong with it? You didn't lock yourself out, did you?"

"Last night… well, my door doesn't have locks and I got scared, so I pushed some furniture in front of the door."

Chase shook his head. "All right, so how did you get out this morning?"

"Through the window around back." I could feel myself wilt as we walked to the back of the house. Barricading the door was an idiotic thing to do in retrospect.

The window was several feet off the ground, and while I might've been able to climb in myself, I couldn't move the furniture once I was inside.

"I know this is ridiculous, but could you help me?"

He eyed the window. "No."

"What? Why not?"

"I'm not climbing through the window to un-barricade your front door."

Deeming him of no help to me, I grabbed the edge of the window sill. It was slippery and cold under my fingers.

"You might want to—"

"I already know I left the window open," I said. "It rained in my house and my bed is probably soaked. No need to point it out."

As I lifted myself off the ground, I grunted from the effort and tried to push myself through. My hips refused to shrink.

"You didn't think this through, did you?" Chase said. I could imagine the smirk on his face. "I sure hope Gill has insurance on his coat."

That deflated me. I sagged over the sill, my energy gone. He was right. I had forgotten I was wearing it, and now it was covered in dirt and rainwater and probably snagged. A hot tear rolled down my cheek.

"Just leave, Chase. You're not helping."

He didn't answer. Was he really leaving?

I knew I couldn't continue into the house this way, so I pushed myself backwards through the window. This whole day was backwards. I was trying to break into my home because I idiotically locked myself out of a house that didn't even have locks. It couldn't get any more backwards than that.

When I dropped to the ground, I lost my footing in the mud and fell on my bottom. If Gill's coat wasn't ruined before, it was irrevocably damaged now. I didn't see Chase anywhere. I sighed and didn't even bother to get up. Maybe I could dissolve into dirt and be blown away by the wind to someplace where I could start over. I made a list of things I had already messed up in my entire two days of residence here:

1. First and third impressions with Gill

2. Second and third impressions with Chase

3. First impression with Luke

4. Falling asleep in the rain

5. Falling asleep in the rain while sitting on a fence

6. Locking myself out of a house that doesn't have locks

7. Ruining Gill's coat

8. Leaving my window open during a storm

9. Being a complete idiot

"Excuse me," Chase said, startling me, "but number four and number five are pretty much the same, and I don't think you had anything to do with number nine. It just happens to some people."

He stood several feet behind where I sat in the mud. My face burned.

"You scared me. I thought you'd left."

He shrugged and the breeze blew a few stray locks of strawberry blond hair into his face.

The moon had found a break in the clouds and reflected off of Chase's violet eyes, creating the illusion of metallic flecks glinting like the embers of a fire. His eyes were mesmerizing in this light. Because of my exhaustion, everything seemed to go in slow motion, like I was in a dreamland, and I hung onto every word, every movement, and every sparkle of his eyes.

He glanced up toward the sky. "I can't stand cloudy weather."

My brain was lagging was bit and I replayed each word in my head. So he didn't like cloudy weather… neither did I. Chase and I had something in common. Actually that was two things we had in common. Something bad happened to him in the past too.

"Huh?" I asked. He had said something but I missed it.

Chase tilted his head to the side. "I said, 'Why are you still wallowing in the mud like a hippo?'"

"Oh… right." Pushing my fairytale thoughts out of my head, I stood up, though I was almost brought to my knees again with a wave of dizziness. I really needed to go to bed before I said or did something stupid. Yes, even stupider than everything else I already did today. It was possible.

"How are you going to get back inside your house?"

I stifled a yawn and pointed to the window. "Could you try to open the window a little wider for me?"

He shoved his hands into his pockets and stiffened. "No."

"The window is the only way in. You have to help me otherwise I'm going to end up sleeping out here and I'll probably catch a cold and die and it will be all your fault!"

"Tough."

"Why are you acting like this? Just open it wider and you don't have to climb through. I will."

"Stop arguing with me! I don't want to, can't you get that?" his voice rang out and echoed among the trees in the nearby forest. I flinched and felt the tears start to sting my eyes. _No,_ I told myself. I would not let him make me look like a fool. It was just a window, and he was making a big deal out of nothing.

"Fine." I took off Gill's coat and tossed it on the ground. It was already filthy anyway. Grabbing the edge of the window sill, I hoisted myself up.

"Wait!" Chase called.

"What's your problem now?" I struggled through the window with a surge of angry energy, then I forcefully toppled out of the window and onto the bed. To my dismay, it was thoroughly soaked.

I stuck my head out of the window and said, "Give me the coat."

Chase scooped it up off the ground and thrust it into my hand. Without another word, he walked away. I never found out why he told me to wait. Sighing, I pulled all the sheets off my bed and laid them across the floor to dry. Still jumpy about my nightmare, I shut the window and wished I wasn't alone. I really needed Roscoe here with me. If he was here, he would help me to understand Chase's odd behavior, and he would definitely protect me from hobos.


	4. Secrets

**Yes! It's an update! I really hope you enjoy. :D**

**I do not own Harvest Moon.**

* * *

><p>It had been exactly one week since the incident with Gill and Chase. I was doing my best to avoid both of them, Gill especially. I still hadn't thought of an excuse to explain what happened to his coat, and Chase and I just never crossed paths. Kathy was becoming a good friend. We always met at Sonata Tailoring every day to look at the nice clothes and chat. Luna could be a pain, but she was bearable most of the time. Candace hardly ever emerged from her room when other people came over. She was way too shy.<p>

My spring crops were planted and growing, almost ready to harvest. It was quite a chore watering them every day and weeding the field, but I was getting used to it. Amelia proved to be a little troublemaker, a quality that I didn't believe cows were capable of possessing until now. Just the other day, she thought it would be hilarious to follow Luke on his way to the forest. I'm almost positive she has a little crush on him. It took much bribing with fodder to get her to come back.

Anyway, today was a sunny day, the sky clear and blue, and I was inside Sonata Tailoring with Kathy admiring an elegant purple gown that both of us had neither the money nor the occasion for. Luna joined us and looked the gown over for several moments seeming to consider something. Her small mouth opened and she drew in a quick breath.

"You know who that dress would look _perfect_ on?" she asked, her eyes wide, the way they always were when a brilliant idea struck her.

Kathy placed a hand on her hip and considered the gown. She snapped her fingers suddenly and pointed at Luna. "Julius!"

Luna's delighted face contorted into a look of confusion and then the room was filled with the light sound of her laughter as she came to realization. I was unable to hold my giggles in and Kathy resorted to full-on laughter and snorting at her own joke.

"Kathy, that's so wrong!" I exclaimed while she grabbed onto my arm to steady herself.

"I think it's pretty accurate, actually," she said, bringing on another round of laughter from the three of us.

Just then a little bell tinkled, alerting us that someone entered the shop. We all turned around slowly, and who I saw instantly stopped my laughter. The one person I was trying to avoid just walked through the door of Sonata Tailoring. Luna's giggling subsided and she narrowed her eyes at the mayor's son. Gill regarded us with a slight nod as the door closed behind him. He glanced around the shop and continued inside. His strides were slow and deliberate as he made his way over to the counter.

Luna glared even harder and walked behind the cash register. "Can I help you with something?" she asked in a way that sounded like Gill had no right to be here.

"Yes," he responded with little regard for her obvious displays of anger. I didn't understand why she was mad at him.

She tapped her foot impatiently while he dug around in his pockets for something. "Well? I don't have all day. I'm kind of busy here," Luna said.

Gill looked up and nodded to Kathy and me. "I can see that you are."

Luna continued sending daggers at him while the silence dragged on.

"Hi Gill." I finally mustered up enough courage to say something.

He looked back up at me briefly. "Hello Angela."

I forced myself to say more. "So um… I keep forgetting to give your coat back to you…"

"Do you?" he asked absently, still rummaging through his pockets.

"Yeah. I'll give it back… soon," I said. "Really soon."

He pulled out a folded up piece of paper and gave me a strange look. "You will, will you?"

"Yes, _Gill_," Luna cut in. "She will. Stop with your weird interrogation and tell me why you're here."

He unfolded the paper and smoothed out the creases before placing it in her petite hand. "I'm here to pick up a special order for my father."

"Are you?" Luna mocked, making her voice go deep and imitating the way he was talking earlier.

Gill ignored her and turned to me. "Bring the coat by later today around three."

I opened my mouth but no sound would come out. I just nodded ever so slightly. Luna retreated to another room, presumably to get his order. Kathy, who I forgot was even here, walked up to us and leaned against the counter.

"Hey Gill," she said.

"Hello Kathy."

"I haven't seen you in a while," she began pleasantly, trying to make conversation.

"No."

Sensing that he wasn't interested in idle chit-chat, she skipped right to the point. "She's still mad, you know."

"I noticed."

"I tried to explain to her, but you know Luna…" Kathy shook her head. "She'll get over it eventually."

"It's already been a few years. I don't think she will, but it doesn't matter. I don't care anymore."

"Why not?" Kathy hopped up onto the counter and let her legs dangle down. "You should care."

"Well I don't." He sighed and checked his watch. "It's none of your business anyway."

I glanced back and forth between Gill and Kathy like I was watching a tennis match. Obviously they didn't care that I was still here, or maybe they forgot. I stepped back a little and pretended to be intrigued in a hat on display.

"How can it be none of my business? This is my best friend we're talking about! You know, I was trying to be nice-"

"Why would you do that?"

I inched closer and closer to the other side of the room. They were starting to yell at each other and I wondered if Luna could hear them. I had no idea what the argument was about but I knew for sure it involved Luna.

Kathy looked appalled at Gill's statement. "Because I felt bad for you!"

"Oh thanks a lot. That's just what I need. Pity."

The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating. Honestly, though, I wanted to stay and watch the fireworks, so I didn't leave. Hey – it's their fault they started arguing with me in the room.

"THREE PAIRS OF SIZE XXL UNDERWEAR IN FUN SUMMER PRINTS!" Luna called loudly as she walked into the room carrying a large package. She stopped immediately when she saw me standing less than a foot away from the door, poised to make a break for it if need be. Her gaze wandered to Kathy, who was still perched atop the counter, and Gill, whose red face and slowly uncurling fist told her that something bad had happened.

Fearful of more yelling, I slipped out the door unnoticed. With my back up against the building, I breathed in the fresh spring air, trying to make sense of everything I just heard. Too many questions filled my mind and made me dizzy. Ever since I came to this island, I only seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. First I involuntarily learned part of Chase's secret, and then I overheard an argument about something Gill did? Was he a criminal or something? People were so confusing…

* * *

><p>Back at my house, I examined Gill's coat thoroughly, looking for any possible way to fix it. After an entire hour of staring at the crumple of dirty, torn, blue fabric, I deemed the situation hopeless. It would require professional help. I lifted it up and groaned when the brand name became visible.<p>

"_Armani_?" I smacked my forehead. "Really, Gill?"

That coat might just as well have been worth a trillion dollars. There was no way I could ever pay for a replacement. I walked out the door without another thought of my inevitable doom. The trek to his house passed by in a blur. I was too busy rehearsing over and over what I was going to tell him.

"I was climbing through a window and…" I shook my head. That didn't sound right.

"Chase refused to help me un-barricade my door…" That sounded too weird. I could resort to a lie...

"Some wild dogs got a hold of it…"

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of Gill's house. I knocked twice on the solid wood door that I felt I had visited one too many times. He opened it moments later and to my surprise, invited me inside. That same floral scent hit me instantly. It was unusual and refreshing, and I inhaled deeply.

Gill took a seat at the kitchen table and pushed aside a stack of papers. He motioned to the empty chair next to him and I sat down obediently. There were documents and books strewn all over the table. Through the mess of it, I could see some photographs peeking out from a green book entitled, "Gill's Diary."

I looked away quickly, pretending that I didn't just see that Gill had a diary. His tattered _Armani _coat was bundled up under my arm and I tried to keep it hidden. My efforts were in vain however, because after taking a sip of some steaming hot beverage, Gill asked, "So the coat suited your needs?"

"Yes, it was… um… lovely. Your coat is very warm," I said. "And expensive."

"Yes, it is quite warm."

"You have others, right?"

"What?"

"Well yeah… I mean if anything were to happen to this coat, would you have a back-up? What if, say, wild dogs got to it? Or you know… what if someone borrowed it and…"

I was too busy worrying about how he was going to hate me after this to notice that there was something different about his usual frown.

"Yes? Go on."

"Well what if someone borrowed it… not me of course! But you know… someone careless. And what if they were… well… trying to get into their house because they barricaded the front door with furniture and the only way in is through the window and _someone_ was being inconsiderate and wouldn't help me- I mean them… and so they had to climb through the window but they didn't realize it had been raining and the window snagged the coat and then it was too late to do anything about it because by then it was completely ruined!"

Gill turned his head away, trying to hide the smile that found its way onto his face. "Well that would be a shame now, wouldn't it?"

"Would that make you upset?" I was terrified of his wrath. I had seen it at the tailor's shop and I definitely didn't want to be on the receiving end of it.

"Upset? Why, I would demand exact payment immediately!"

I shivered. "And what if said person did not have the funds available to pay off said debt?"

"The only logical thing to do would be to enslave that person to me for the rest of their life or until they paid off double the price of my million dollar coat." Gill looked at me with an expression that said, "Duh! What did you expect?" I completely believed him until he cracked a smile, revealing perfectly straight white teeth.

"Of course, we're just speaking theoretically," he added, taking another sip of his beverage and glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

I hesitated, fidgeting in my chair. "What if I wasn't speaking theoretically?"

He practically slammed his cup down onto the table and raised his eyebrows at me. "In other words, you just said that theoretically, you weren't speaking theoretically?"

I nodded, unsure of what he was saying.

"Well you simply can't theoretically do something in theory! You knew that, though, didn't you?" He paused just long enough for me to nod again. "This whole time have you been trying to tell me that you _actually_ did all those things to my coat?"

I nodded silently.

"Well why did you start talking in theory then? That just complicated the whole situation." He shook his head slowly as if dealing with a naughty child. He cast a sideways glance at me and I finally got it. He was kidding around from the beginning. I smiled and sighed in relief. So he wasn't really mad at me.

"How did you know?"

"Chase told me the very next day. I've had an entire week to get over it."

"Why would he do that?" I crossed my arms and pouted somewhat childishly.

"Because you have to admit, it was kind of funny, and he knew I wouldn't get mad," Gill said. "I don't care about the coat, Angela. I _do_ have back-ups." My eyes might have been playing tricks on me, but I'm pretty sure he winked at me. I felt my face heat up and I gripped the _Armani _coat tighter for something to hold onto. What happened to 'Mr. Strictly Business'?

"I'm so sorry, Gill. It was an accident. I was just so mad at my own stupidity and Chase was acting really weird…" I trailed off because Gill was staring at me. His blue eyes shimmered and after a moment, he cast his gaze downward. A dark shadow crossed his face and I wondered if I said something to upset him.

"Did I say something?"

His eyes snapped back up to me as if he just remembered I was there. "No. You just remind me of… someone." I didn't press any further but I was extremely curious. He cleared his throat suddenly and started speaking. "Chase was acting weird, you say?"

"Yeah! Is he…" I wasn't sure if I should ask this or not, but I had to know. "Bipolar?"

Gill leaned back in the chair and laughed. He _actually_ laughed. I had never heard that sound before, and it sent my pulse racing. It was like beautiful music; soft, smooth, restrained with a hint of abandon, practiced yet spontaneous.

"That would be an awfully good explanation for his behavior sometimes, but no, I don't believe he is. Why? What did he do this time?" The blue of his eyes seemed to swirl like springs of water, fluid and dynamic. "Wait, I know - it was the window."

"The window?" I echoed.

"Yes. He has this…" Gill shook his head. "Never mind, sorry. I have sworn secrecy on the matter."

Secrets were so irritating. I couldn't understand why I kept getting involved in other peoples' secrets. I never meant to see Chase's scar. I never meant to hear that argument between Gill and Kathy. But I did. So now I want answers.

"That's fine." If I can't get Chase's secret out of Gill, then maybe I could get his own. "So um… I happened to be standing there in the tailor's shop earlier today."

"Were you?" He lifted the cup to his mouth only to find it empty. "Oh that's right, you were."

"I heard some things," I said, trying to avoid the direct question of "What did you do to Luna?"

"I suppose I should explain that. When I was sixteen," he began. A million thoughts ran through my mind at that moment. What could a sixteen year old boy do that's so horrible? The answer to that question made me shudder. Lots of things. Gill exhaled slowly. "I left."

My mouth dropped open slightly in surprise. I was _not_ expecting that answer. I was expecting something actually bad.

"The island was doing so poorly that I had to leave to find a solution to the problems. The fires were weak, crops weren't growing, and fish were dying in the rivers."

"You didn't do anything bad then!" I exclaimed. "In fact, that was a good thing to do."

"Luna didn't think so. She took it personally. Luna seemed to think that she and I were meant to be together. When I left the island, she thought I was leaving her. She never forgave me. Shortly after I left, she went to the city."

"Why did you come back then? Did you find a way to solve the problems on the island?"

Gill stiffened and turned around to look at something outside the window. "Not exactly. While I was away, a farmer came to the island. He began growing things, raising animals, befriending the townsfolk…" He drew in a breath. "Kasey really turned this place around."

"How nice," I said thoughtfully. Gill must have been disappointed because it's obvious that he wanted to be the one to fix the island. That much was apparent in the way he talked about it.

"I eventually returned to the island, and so did Luna along with a few other villagers. Now everything is doing well. …except for the fact that Luna is angry with me for leaving."

"That's it? That's why she's mad at you?" I asked. His explanation certainly seemed true, yet something felt missing.

"Yeah pretty much." Gill sat down again next to me and held up a random piece of paper from the table and examined it.

"Why isn't Kasey still here?"

"He had to go take care of his elderly grandparents in the city," he said. "We never talked much so I don't know any details."

I suddenly felt very out of place. What if this Kasey person decided to come back to Castanet and found that I took his place? And if that used to be his farm, then why was it so rundown?

As if reading my mind, Gill let the paper slide out of hands and he half-smiled at me. "He won't be coming back."

"How-"

"Kasey found a girl there. In the city," he said bluntly. "I'll be right back." Gill stood up and went into another room, leaving me confused. This island was so confusing. Back at my job in the city, I just filed papers. It was a no-brainer. Here, I have to read between the lines and try to figure everything out.

My eyes wandered around the room. They got caught on a photograph of a little boy, obviously Gill, and a woman. She had long light blonde hair and blue eyes just like him. That must have been his mother. I had figured out by now that she wasn't alive anymore, with the funeral program displayed right underneath her portrait. I allowed myself to entertain an interesting thought. Maybe when Gill said that I reminded him of someone, he meant his mother. Maybe that's why he was talking to me so freely today; because I remind him of his mother. As a warm fuzzy feeling grew inside me, I resisted the urge to blurt out an "Awww!" at this sudden realization.

I heard a door creak open and my head snapped around to the source of the noise. Gill was standing there, holding something in his hands. His expression was unreadable. He looked almost awkward.

"Here." He held out a small piece of paper. "I'm sure he misses you a lot."

My brows furrowed involuntarily as I examined the paper. It was a boat ticket. To my hometown. "Um… who exactly misses me?"

Gill looked confused. "Your dog."

"Oh right!"

"I heard that you were planning on going back to get him once you had enough money," he said. I didn't say anything so he continued speaking. "I had to specially arrange that boat ride to make a stop here. So, you're welcome."

He obviously didn't know how to give someone a gift, but I was grateful all the same. "Thank you so much, Gill! You really didn't have to do that."

"Trust me, I did. It's for the good of the island. The longer we have to listen to you complaining about 'vulnerability to hobos,' the crazier we're all going to get. Do you realize that ninety percent of the townsfolk here have no idea what a hobo even is?"

I laughed. "At least you know what a hobo is, right?"

His gaze shifted upward, like he was trying to remember something. "It's a type of spider, isn't it?"

_You're kidding me. This whole time I've been complaining about hobos and everyone thinks I'm talking about a spider?_

My face must have mirrored my thoughts because Gill said, "Of course I know what a hobo is. I've been to the city, remember? Technically, though, a hobo is a homeless traveler. I think you misuse the term. Those homeless people in the city don't really travel."

"Did you memorize the dictionary or something?"

"They aren't all bad, you know," he said, ignoring my question. "Homeless people I mean."

I felt the familiar pang of shame that had been buried deep down, hidden forever. Why did Gill say that? Was he trying to make me feel bad about being afraid of them? His comment upset me more than it should have, and I knew why. He was right. And he reminded me of something I did.

Something terrible.

* * *

><p><strong>I have to say thank you so much to all the people who have left positive feedbackconstructive criticism. Every comment is greatly appreciated!**

**Thanks so much to the lovely swingdancer23 and also theatrelove123 for answering my questions!**

**Please forgive any semi-colon misuse in the chapter because I'm still a little confused about that, despite Lyric's best efforts to Google it for me. :P**

**Thank you for reading! :D And don't forget to review. ;)**

**~ Violet**


	5. Lunch Date

Today was the day before I hopped on a boat to the city and smuggled Roscoe back home. I was so excited I couldn't think straight. In fact, I put my shirt on backwards. Twice. Thankfully, before I left the house, I corrected the problem.

To put my excited energy to use, I decided that I would begin renovations on my house. I came to the conclusion that I couldn't do everything entirely by myself, so I assembled a small volunteer crew. Luna had declined, saying she was not fit for manual labor. Kathy said she would come supervise, and Luke, true to his word, offered his carpenter expertise and skill. Bo tagged along, almost like he was Luke's shadow.

All four of us gathered in front of my house at eight in the morning. Kathy somehow decided she was going to boss us around. _As if she knew anything about fixing up a house._ She directed me to begin tearing off the broken siding from my house. I was holding the hammer, just about to use it for the first time, when Luke stopped me.

"Angela, what are you doing?" he asked with a shocked expression on his face.

"Don't worry, Luke. I'm pretty tough. I think I can handle using a hammer." I rolled my eyes at his unneeded concern.

Kathy noticed our chit-chat and walked over. "What's going on here?" She placed a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes at us.

"I was just telling Luke that I'm perfectly capable of handling this hammer," I explained.

She glanced down at my hammer and laughed. "Maybe you should use the _handle_ then."

"Huh?"

"The handle. I'm not an expert or anything but I'm pretty sure you hold it by the handle."

"Oh right." I turned away, blushing. Luke didn't seem to notice my embarrassment, and he just smiled. I turned back to the house and began tearing off the broken siding as best as I could. I was not accustomed to such strenuous physical activity and it took me three times as long as Bo to do anything. Kathy wandered into my house at one point and came back out with lemonade. I shook my head and wondered why I even invited her.

She would occasionally shout up to Luke, who had chosen to climb onto the roof and begin work up there, to quit showing off. He would laugh and flex his biceps. After I ripped off a piece of siding that I had been working on for a half hour, I sighed and stepped back to look at our work. The area that Bo was working on was almost completely cleared of broken siding. My area looked pitiful in comparison. I actually did more damage than I fixed.

"Hey, no breaks!" Kathy yelled at me.

I turned around to give her one of my evil glares, which admittedly, wasn't very evil looking. We both giggled at my failed attempt to be aggressive. I glanced up at Luke, shielding my eyes from the blazing sun. He was repairing my roof with obvious skill. Luke was only an apprentice, so if he was _that_ good, I wondered how good Dale was. He must have been amazing.

"Hey Luke," I called. He glanced up, or rather _down_, at me and smiled. "Great work up there!"

He gave me a thumbs-up, followed by a vigorous fist-pump. My muscles ached and I wondered how he still had energy to keep working. I plopped down on the cool grass and Kathy joined me. Her glass of lemonade really annoyed me. The ice cubes floated around so carelessly and the condensation on the cup looked so refreshing. Just imagining the sweet, tart lemonade made my mouth water. She took a sip and proudly declared that it was all gone.

I shook my head and chuckled. My gaze shifted to Luke, who noticed us staring at him. He stood up and stretched, his muscles flexing involuntarily. I felt myself starting to smile and blush, and I quickly looked away. Apparently, he then decided it was so hot, he needed to remove his shirt. _Of course._

Kathy booed and accused him of being a showoff for the tenth time. I feared that I had turned the color of a tomato, so I buried my face between my knees and stared at the ground.

"Well someone sure thinks a lot of himself," a familiar voice sneered. I lifted my head up and noticed a shadow on the grass next to me. Twisting my body around, I saw the dazzling purple eyes of Chase looking directly at me.

"What are you doing here, Chase?" Kathy asked.

"Standing," he said simply. Then he glanced up at Luke and said, "Watching an idiot make a fool of himself. It's not even hot outside. It's spring for goodness sakes!"

Kathy stood up and punched his arm playfully. "Ooh is someone jealous?"

"Jealous of what? His poor temperature judgment skills? Yep."

Kathy rolled her eyes. "I think you already suffer from that," she said and pointed to his sandals.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "So do you."

I laughed, covering my mouth with my hand. Kathy was unfazed by the blatant insult to her less than conservative clothing choices, and she persisted with her questions.

"Why are you here? You never leave your house during the day. You're like a hermit or something."

Chase looked irritated. "I was on my way to work and I noticed Luke was putting on a circus over here."

I laughed again. Luke was up on the roof waving his arms around. "Hey Chase! Buddy! What's up?"

Chase scrunched up his face in annoyance and turned to leave. Kathy stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, which he shrugged off immediately. "It's too early for work. Where are you really going?"

"Lunch."

"Oh! A lunch date?"

"Yes, with myself."

"Can we come?" Kathy asked suddenly. "I'm starving and Angela doesn't have food in her house." My mouth dropped open slightly at her forwardness and I shook my head at Chase, trying to let him know he didn't have to say yes.

He shrugged. "Whatever. Just don't invite Lu-"

"What are you guys doing?" Luke cut in. He appeared right next to me with perspiration on his chest and forehead, and he leaned on his axe nonchalantly.

"We're going to lunch with Chase," I said.

"Oh alright," he said. For a second I was afraid I might have hurt his feelings until he added, "Can I come?"

Kathy nodded and Chase rolled his eyes. "Only if you put your shirt on. I don't want to look at that and eat at the same time. I might get nauseous."

Luke laughed and used the non-dangerous end of his axe to poke Chase's stomach. "Someone's jealous!" he sang in a high-pitched voice.

Chase narrowed his violet eyes at Luke and swatted away the tool. "Watch it."

Kathy pulled us along the path as Luke called over his shoulder to Bo.

Seeing as it was the middle of the day, the only place open was the Ocarina Inn. We all stumbled in through the door as a big mass of people. Kathy, Luke and Bo all tried to walk through the door at the same time, causing Bo to trip over Luke's axe and fall, dragging Kathy down with him. Chase stepped over their bodies and continued inside. I followed behind and spotted Gill sitting at one of the tables in the far corner. He was wearing reading glasses and looking at some paperwork. He glanced up when he heard the ruckus and furrowed his brow.

I stood awkwardly off to the side as I waited for people to sit down. Bo slowly helped Kathy get up off the floor.

"Hey it's Gill!" Luke exclaimed, waving frantically.

Gill grabbed his papers and stood up. "I was just leaving."

"Noooo," Luke whined. "It's not a party without Gill! C'mon, man, eat lunch with us!"

"It's not a party at all," Chase mumbled next to me. "I seriously think this kid takes spaz pills. The only logical explanation for his behavior is medication-induced hyperactivity. It's just not normal."

"Kid? He can't be much younger than you," I laughed. "How old are you anyway?"

His eyes wandered to the clock on the wall and he didn't answer me right away. "Twenty-one," he said after a moment. So he was older than I thought. "No, I'm actually twenty-two."

"Um, okay. When is your birthday?"

"What's today?"

"Not sure. Summer something."

"It was a little while ago," he said with a shrug. "The twenty-third of spring."

Suddenly Luke grabbed my arm and pulled me into a chair at Gill's table. He plopped down next to me and Chase took the only open spot at the other side of the table.

"Waitress!" Luke exclaimed as he leaned back in the chair and snapped his fingers. I laughed and shook my head.

Maya appeared from the kitchen and smiled at us. "Oh hey guys! Sorry, I was just trying to make this cake and-"

"I'll have the spinach juice," Luke interrupted, concentrating on the menu in front of him. His eyes were narrowed and he bit his lip as if he were making a life-altering decision.

"We don't serve that," Maya said as she tilted her head in confusion.

"That's so gross!" Bo made a disgusted face at his blue-haired friend.

I glanced at Luke's menu, since he was holding the only one. "Uhh… can I have the mushroom rice?" I asked, eyeing the prices.

"Sure thing!" Maya turned to Bo and Kathy and took their orders while I looked around the Inn, trying not to stare at Gill's cerulean eyes. They were just drawing me in like magnets. _No,_ I told myself. _Look anywhere but at him._ But there was something different about them today… I was trying to figure it out when he glanced up at me and pretended not to notice that I had been staring at him.

Maya lifted her tablet and turned to the other side of the table. "Oh hi Chase! Do you have any yummy dishes for me to try?"

He blinked a few times before furrowing his brow. "Yes, Maya, because I just so happen to be carrying stir fry in my pocket right now. I never leave my house without it." Chase rolled his eyes.

Maya pouted. "Well fine. What are you going to have?"

"If you're making it, nothing."

"You're so mean! But you don't have to worry because Grandma's in the kitchen today," she said, her bottom lip quivering almost imperceptibly.

"Then I'll just have some orange juice."

"Okay, and for you Gill?"

"I suppose I will have the tomato risotto," he said as he sighed and removed his glasses.

I could see it clearly. There were the slightest dark circles around his blue eyes. I bit my lip and traced patterns of the wood on the table with my finger. Maybe he was working too much. I hardly ever saw him without his face buried in stacks of paperwork.

"So Angie," Luke began as he strapped and unstrapped the Velcro of his gloves repeatedly. "What're you doin' tomorrow?"

"Well, I'm going to the city for a few days." I felt uncomfortable as all the eyes stared at me while I spoke. Maya stopped by our table and set down some glasses of water before retreating to the kitchen.

"Do you mind stopping that?" Chase suddenly interjected. I snapped my head around to see him scowling at Luke.

"Stop… talking?" I asked with my eyebrows knitted together.

"What? No. Stop doing that with your gloves. It's driving me insane."

Luke strapped the Velcro back together one final time before laughing. "Can I come with you?" he asked, looking back at me.

I laughed a little. "I guess you could, but you don't have a boat ticket."

"How much are they?"

I shrugged and shot a pointed glance in Gill's direction. He pulled a hair off his sweater and blinked lazily at us. "Huh?"

"Luke wants to know how much boat tickets are to the city," I said, trying to ignore the fact that he's never been caught not paying attention before. I took a sip of my ice cold water.

"One thousand-"

All eyes turned to me as I began choking on my water. I excused myself from the table and coughed for an entire minute while I tried to process that my boat ticket cost one thousand G, and Gill had generously bought it for me.

When I returned to the table, everyone was staring at me and Gill was giving me the strangest look ever. Of course, he probably had more money than all of us combined, so it wasn't that big of a deal to him.

"Sorry, I just… had an issue there," I said as I twisted my hands together. Our food was taking an awfully long time and I wondered what the holdup was in the kitchen.

Luke must have been thinking the same thing because he slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "I'm dying of starvation! Where's the food, waitress!"

I shook my head again and laughed. Maya poked her head out of the kitchen and cringed. "I'm so sorry! I was helping Grandma and I accidentally burned-"

"Unacceptable!" Luke exclaimed, interrupting her for the second time.

I laughed again and just realized that Chase was being super quiet. When I glanced up, I discovered he was no longer sitting at the table. In fact, he wasn't anywhere in the Inn.

That was my chance. He couldn't have gone far, and the curiosity was building up inside of me until I was sure I was going to explode if I didn't get answers to _something_ soon.

"I'll be right back, I have to…" I proceeded to mumble something incoherent that hopefully sounded like a good excuse to leave momentarily, and then I slipped out.

The door closed softly behind me and I glanced down the pathway. Chase wasn't there. I began walking the other way and descended the steps. It was silent in Harmonica Town, except for Toby fishing off the dock and my own footsteps on the cobblestone. I made my way over to him to say hello.

"Hey Toby," I said with a small wave. He was wearing the most interesting puffy light blue pants. "I uh… like your pants."

"Thank you." He smiled. "They're very comfortable."

There was a short silence that followed. "Have you gotten any bites?"

"Yeah, a few. Want to join me? The ocean is really peaceful."

"Thanks! I would but I'm actually looking for someone. Have you seen Chase?" I tried to make it sound casual. The last thing I needed was a rumor about me crushing on (or worse – stalking) Chase.

Toby nodded and pointed toward the beach near the lighthouse. "I think he went over there."

I turned my head to the right and caught sight of a figure standing on the shoreline. He was pretty far away and he looked like an unmoving statue with his back to us.

"Oh…" I wasn't sure if I should go over and ask him what's wrong, so I just stood there, watching Toby cast his line into the water. He was so carefree and relaxed.

"How is it that you're so happy?" The words left my mouth before I had a chance to actually think about what I was asking.

Toby smiled and didn't seem to notice that I was blushing slightly.

"Life is like sailing in the ocean. You can let the wind and waves push you around, or you can use your sails to steer in your own direction."

At first I almost laughed. He was comparing life to sailing the ocean. Did I really expect anything else from him? After the initial humorous moment wore off, I pondered what he just said and realized it was so true.

"Thank you, Toby. That's really nice," I said. He just nodded in response as I took off jogging down the dock, which probably wasn't the smartest idea considering it was slippery, but I was careful. I approached the motionless figure of Chase and hesitated. What was I going to say? I didn't even know what was wrong. He suddenly knelt down and picked up his discarded sandals.

"Uh. Hi," I said quietly, before he had the chance to turn around, see me standing there, and assume I was spying on him or something.

Chase glanced up and frowned. I didn't know what to say. After a few seconds of silence he raised his eyebrows at me. "Well?"

"I was um… just seeing if you… uh. Never mind."

My face was burning hot, and I turned around to go back to the Inn. Something stopped me in my tracks and I closed my eyes tightly. I had to quit letting him intimidate me if we were ever going to be friends.

"Were you… um…" I forced the words out and turned around to face him. His violet eyes looked straight at me and I lost whatever composure I had. "Uh… I was just…"

"Have you ever considered speech therapy?"

My mouth dropped open slightly as my brain registered his insult. I narrowed my eyes at him and gave him the dirtiest glare I was capable of. "No," I said angrily. "I was just going to ask… if you've ever been to the city." _Wow that was random. _I think I already knew the answer based on what Gill's told me, but I wanted to see if Chase was the lying type.

His mouth formed a tight line. "Yeah."

Good enough for me. He passed the test, but I was going to press further just because he insulted me. "Were you visiting?"

He began walking and I followed closely behind. "No. I lived there."

An entire three word sentence! I think he was starting to open up. "Really? Where in the city?"

There were dozens of neighborhoods and districts in the city, but I was pretty familiar with most of them.

He paused before reaching the cobblestone paths of town. "Lots of places."

"Specifically?" I asked.

"I lived on the west side," he said. I remembered that area. The west side was where many of the middle-class working families lived. "And…"

"Yeah?"

"Um… River Avenue."

My brain strained to remember that part of town. It was where the orphanage was. I tried to mask the stunned look on my face and pretended like I didn't know that area.

"Oh?" I furrowed my brow in what I hoped he would perceive as confusion.

"I also lived near Maple Street," he added, staring at the ground.

"Really? That's where I lived."

He nodded and glanced over at me as we walked back to the Inn.

"When did you live there?"

"About eleven or twelve years ago," he said as I pulled open the heavy wooden door.

I calculated in my head that he would have been ten or eleven years old when he lived there. That also corresponded with Gill's statement that Chase came to the island twelve years ago. I was giddy with excitement at my new discoveries.

"Wait." I pushed the door shut before we had the chance to go back inside. He stopped and looked at me blankly with a hint of irritation. "I'm going to the city tomorrow, but I'm kind of… well, scared. To go alone."

"Scared," he repeated. In his flat tone it didn't even sound like a question. "Seriously? You're a farmer."

"What does being a farmer have anything to do with it?"

"I don't know. Haven't you lived there your whole life?"

"Yeah, but why do you think I left?" The question thing was getting annoying and I hoped he didn't respond with another one.

He thought for a moment and then nodded, probably remembering my nightmare fiasco. "I get it, but why are you asking me? What about Luke? He already said he wants to go with you."

"I thought about that, but he's never even been to the city. I can just imagine him getting arrested for trying to chop down the trees in the park or something like that. He has no idea what a hobo is, much less that you aren't supposed to initiate conversation with them." I shook my head. It wasn't that I didn't think Luke was intelligent; he just didn't have city street smarts.

Chase didn't say anything. Maybe I made a mistake by asking him.

"Sorry. You don't have to," I said, pulling the door open again. He stopped me.

"You're sorry?" he asked harshly. He raked a hand through his messy hair and sighed. "I know. I don't need you to tell me what I can and can't do."

I sighed in frustration. "I just can't say anything right around you, can I?"

"Nope." He smiled suddenly. "But you keep trying. That's more than what most people do."

I felt my stomach do a flip-flop. What was that supposed to mean? I opened the door yet again and glanced at him briefly from the corner of my eye. He still had that smirk on his face as we walked into the Inn. Everyone except for Gill was basically pigging out on their food, and they all turned around at once to look at us.

I forgot to think of an explanation for leaving randomly and returning with Chase.

"Why is your face all red?" Kathy asked me, smiling a creepy smile.

"What? Oh that." I laughed. "I was just… running."

Chase sat back down at the table and eyed his orange juice suspiciously. "Did Maya touch this?" he asked no one in particular.

Bo nodded. "Yeah, she brought it to the table, but I don't think she made it."

I was glad the subject got changed so quickly. Glancing up, I noticed Maya standing in the kitchen, staring at Chase. She had a smile on her face that was growing bigger and bigger as he was about to take a drink of his orange juice.

"Uh…" I started to speak, but I was too late. He took a sip and started coughing immediately. He ended up spitting most of it back into the glass.

"Maya!" Chase shouted as he stood abruptly from the table and tried to stop coughing. "What on earth did you put in that?"

"What do you mean? You don't like it?"

"Don't like it?" he repeated incredulously. "I can't even swallow it!"

Maya looked like she was about to cry. "I-I was j-just trying to impress y-you!"

Chase glared at her. "One of these days, Maya, you are going to _kill _me with your culinary disasters."

"T-that's not true!"

"Do I need to remind you of the orange cake-"

"I said I was sorry! Chase, you're such a meanie! Why do I even waste my time trying?"

"Yeah, why _do _you?"

A few tears spilled out of her aquamarine eyes and she ran up the stairs. Chase sighed, though it sounded more like a groan, and he muttered something along the lines of "here we go again."

"Smooth," Gill said.

Kathy stood up and shot Chase a glare. "You know, every time you do this, I'm the one who has to sit with her for hours and tell her that you're a jerk and she just needs to get over you, but does she listen? No! And would you ever apologize and calmly explain to her that cooking isn't for everyone? Of course not!"

"Kathy-" Chase tried to interrupt, but she kept talking.

"Would you ever quit thinking of yourself? I mean, we get it, Chase. You hate everything. But that doesn't give you the right to make everyone else miserable! Maya actually likes you. Why can't you be nice to her? Oh, I know why. Because you're a self-centered jerk."

That moment was the ultimate of awkward moments. I could hear Luke munching on his food in the otherwise dead silence.

Chase had his mouth open to say something, but he closed it at her last remark. His eyes looked unfocused and vulnerable for a moment, but he quickly regained composure and the coldness was back.

"You don't know anything about me."

He probably intended it to sound threatening, but he waited too long before speaking and it ended up sounding like he was personally offended.

And with that, the door of the Inn slammed shut.

I stared at my barely touched mushroom rice. Luke swallowed the last of his spinach dish and Bo pushed away his empty plate. Kathy cleared her throat and rocked back on her heels.

"That was unexpected."

"Well, you _did_ call him a self-centered jerk. How did you expect him to react?" I asked, confused.

"Uh. I don't know. I didn't think he'd take it personal like that. You're not mad at me are you?"

"What? Of course not. That argument didn't even involve me."

"Yeah, but now you might think _I'm _the jerk. I'm just tired of Chase acting like the world revolves around him. He's so rude to Maya. And everyone else for that matter."

I wanted to defend him, but everything I thought to say wouldn't have come out right. It would have just made me sound like a goody-two-shoes, so I didn't say anything.

Gill stood up to leave. "As interesting as this lunch is, I have work to do."

"Uh, yeah. I'm going to leave now too. You guys can just come by my house later to finish for today," I said and then left the Inn.

Back at my house, I saw a note setting on my kitchen table. The handwriting was messy and some of the letters were randomly connected while others weren't. I found it insanely creepy that someone came into my house and left a note, until I started reading it.

_Don't forget your toothbrush. I'm not letting you borrow mine._

_Chase_

A huge smile overtook my face. That meant he was going to come with me to the city! _…right?_ Of course, he couldn't have just given me a plain answer. He had to be all cryptic.

I immediately dashed into my bathroom and grabbed my toothbrush. I set it down on top of his note and smiled.

Chase was going to the city with me.

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><p><em>AN: Thank you so much to all the people who have put me and/or Caught Clueless on your story/author alert/favorite list! It really means a lot to me! I sincerely apologize for the long wait time on my update. The next updates will come much faster._

_~ Violet_


	6. The Only Logical Thing

**A/N: I promised a quick update, didn't I? :D Well here you go. This chapter has been revised, edited, and proofread to death. DEATH I TELL YOU. So if I find random comma misplacements or grammatical errors, I will proceed to throw my laptop against the wall in a fit of rage. LOL I'm totally kidding of course. ^_^'**

**I'd like to acknowledge that this chapter just prolongs the arrival of my promised action scene, but I swear to you, dear readers, I'm just trying to get in all the calm/funny chapters before the drama starts. Because once it starts, there's no return. MWAHAHA *cough***

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><p>I was standing on the dock in the cool morning air. It was almost six a.m. and the boat was nearly ready to board. Everything I would need for the short trip was stuffed into my handy rucksack. That thing could carry way more than I expected. All my crops were harvested and shipped the day before, so I had plenty of money to spend on my trip. I didn't want to let Gill know that, though. He might question why I hadn't paid off my house debt yet.<p>

When I first arrived on the dock, I was surprised to see Gill standing there, staring out into the horizon. He looked surprised to see me too, which was odd considering he was the one who bought me the boat ticket. I asked him what he was doing, and he responded that he was going to the city for business matters. I wondered why he hadn't told me that before. Then it dawned on me that maybe he didn't want me to know, and maybe he had planned to board the boat before I came. That seemed weird but I tried to shrug it off.

"So Gill, if we're both going to the city, maybe you'd want to come with me and stay at my parents' house…? I just think it would be dumb for you to go there and spend a bunch of money on a hotel when you could stay somewhere for free - breakfast, lunch, and dinner included!" I smiled way too energetically for this time of the morning.

"I'm not sure about that…" he said, adjusting the weight of his bag. "Wouldn't your parents get the wrong idea?"

"Well Chase is already coming with me, so one more guy couldn't hurt, right?" I laughed and then realized that probably sounded really strange.

"Huh, so that's what he did with my money."

"He used your money for his boat ticket?"

Gill shrugged. "I owed him. Apparently being the mayor's son doesn't automatically mean free dinner at the bar. It came out of someone's paycheck." He gave a small smile like he was proud of getting away with free dinner at least for a little while. "I suppose I could stay there, if it wouldn't be too much of an imposition. We'll see."

I nodded and continued waiting to get on the boat. It was taking forever. Seriously, did the boat captain have bricks in his pants or something? How long does it take to lower a plank of wood?

When Chase showed up, I tried in vain to hide my excitement. I was going to go to the city with two of my good friends (well, I considered them that, whether they did or not). It was going to be fun! Now if only they would let us get on the boat already.

I sighed and glanced around for the fifth time. Gill stood near me, holding a small suitcase and wearing an expensive looking pea coat. Chase had a messenger bag slung over his shoulder, and for once he wasn't wearing his apron. I was practically bouncing up and down with excitement, while Gill was standing stiff as a board against the wind and Chase looked like he just dragged himself out of bed.

The boat captain called for passengers and I laughed. There were only three of us standing there.

"Hello young lady!" he greeted. This guy reminded me of Pascal. Maybe he was a distant relative? Or maybe all boat captains were kind of the same.

I nodded politely and stepped onto the boat. Glancing around, I noticed there were hardly any people on the deck. There was a middle-aged woman in high heels walking toward me. She glanced to the side and made a strange face. It was like she just saw something repulsive lying on the deck amid the boat supplies. After she passed by, I went to go see what she was looking at.

A familiar flame bandana was visible before I even made it there. I smacked my forehead.

"Luke?" I asked, my voice an octave higher than I intended.

He drowsily opened his eyes and yawned. "Angela? What're you doin' here?" He stood up slowly and detangled his limbs from the mess of rope and nets.

"I'm going to the city. What are _you_ doing here?"

"I was working on some repairs for the boat last night, and I must have fallen asleep. Oops!" He laughed. Chase came up behind me to see who I was talking to.

There was a sound coming from the other side of the boat, and I whipped my head around to see the boat captain resume his position at the helm.

"I guess I'm going to City with you!" Luke exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"Yeah isn't that where we're going? City?"

I laughed. "Um. Right."

"Hey do you have any extra pairs of underwear?"

"What!"

He smiled sheepishly. "I didn't have time to pack anything. How long are we going to be in City?"

I resisted from banging my head against the rail. "Maybe you can borrow from Chase." I laughed while a horrified expression crossed Chase's face.

"No. That's a terrible idea," he muttered and turned around to walk away.

Luke flashed a grin and retrieved his axe from the ground. _Oh goodness… of course he still has his axe._

We walked around to the other side of the deck in search of our seating arrangements. I had never been on a boat like this. It was small with several benches for sitting on the deck, and I assumed there were a few cabins for people on longer voyages. Our little group found seats on one of the benches, Luke sat next to me, and Chase and Gill sat across from us. It was still cold outside, but at least the sun was coming up. Thankfully, I didn't get seasick like I used to when I was younger.

Everyone was silent and I feared the whole boat ride would be drenched in awkward silences.

"I've never been to City before!" Luke exclaimed. Well, I guess we wouldn't have to worry about that with Luke around.

Chase rolled his eyes. "Really? I didn't know. You've only mentioned it ten times."

For some reason I found that extremely hilarious and I couldn't contain my laughter. I was probably all hyped up on the sea air or something.

Gill sighed. "This is going to be a long trip with Luke saying idiotic things, Chase making a sarcastic remark about his idiotic statements, and you laughing at everything Chase says."

I tried to cover my mouth to suppress my giggles. "And what do you do?"

He leaned back and looked me straight in the eyes with the corner of his mouth turned upward into that lopsided smile. "I think it's obvious. I'm the victim."

I burst out laughing until tears streamed down my face, and apparently my laughter was contagious because even Chase was chuckling. He was probably just laughing at me, since I had no idea why Gill's comment was so hilarious. Maybe it was the fact that he actually said something without frowning.

"The victim? What are we doing to you?" I managed to ask between gasps for breath.

Gill leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. He glanced suspiciously to the right. "What do you imagine people are thinking of our little group?"

He nodded to a lady sitting on the other end of the bench. His voice changed pitch to resemble an old woman and he said, "I do say! That blue-haired rogue possesses an axe and he's holding that poor handsome young man hostage!"

I laughed until I could hardly breathe. If I kept this up, our trip _was _going to be long, and I would end up with nicely toned abs. Laughing was a pretty good workout, as I was beginning to find out.

"Yeah and his accomplice is a girl who's constantly high on laughing gas," Chase added, to which I pouted in mock offense.

"Says the guy who…" I trailed off, unable to come up with a witty remark on the spot.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "What? You're not going to go with the cliché _says the guy wearing hairpins _comment?"

I shook my head. "No! I have to be original."

One of the passengers sitting near Chase was staring at us. He was probably scared. I leaned in and jerked my head slightly to the right. Everyone glanced to the right and I smacked my forehead. If that didn't creep the guy out, I don't know what would.

I looked over to see him gawking at us with wide eyes, sliding away down the bench. He was wearing dark cowboy attire, and he had a large bag that seemed to be moving. I was afraid there was a person in there, but then I realized it was just my eyes playing tricks on me with the movement of the boat and everything. He seemed to have left a piece of paper on the bench and I urged Chase to pick it up. He refused, so I leaned across the aisle and grabbed the paper. I began reading it aloud.

"_Dear Vaughn, I can't wait until-"_

Someone ripped the paper out of my hand. I glanced up and saw Gill's sky blue eyes fixed on mine.

"Don't read that," he snapped. "It's probably confidential."

_Ugh, the switch to business mode has been flipped, _I thought dully.

I made a face and sunk into the seat. Gill handed the paper back to that Vaughn guy, after apologizing for my behavior. I settled my gaze on the waves of the ocean. This boat ride was four hours long. I didn't know how I was going to survive. A little while later, I glanced around at my companions. Next to me, Luke was practicing tying knots on a piece of string he found. Chase was fighting a losing battle against sleep. His head lolled forward every few seconds as his eyes fell shut. He opened them and shook his head to wake up. It was kind of cute, and I tried not to smile. He switched to resting his chin in his palm and leaning forward. I glanced at Gill who had been reading, but now was rubbing his temples and staring off into space.

"Hey," I said. "You okay?"

Gill glanced up at me. "Huh? Oh yeah."

I could tell he was lying. "How much longer until we get there?"

He checked his expensive watch. "About two hours."

Chase's arm slipped out from under his head as he fell asleep momentarily and it whacked Gill for the third time. I started laughing again.

"Stop! You've done that three times already," Gill said as he half-laughed, half-scowled in Chase's direction and shifted uncomfortably between a large elderly woman and his unwittingly violent friend.

Chase sat up and rubbed his face with his hands in an effort to increase his alertness. "Hey it's not my problem you're sitting there."

"Yes it's entirely my fault you keep hitting me."

"Shhh. I'm busy now." Chase reached over, grabbed a book out of Gill's bag and opened it randomly. "I've been reduced to reading…" he muttered as he leaned back and scanned the pages.

I looked at the title. _Gill's Diary._ My lips curled into a smile as I waited for Gill to notice, but he never did.

"Do you have an extra book?" I asked.

He leaned over and dug through his bag. "Here."

I read the title. _The Fiscal Year and You._ Well it was better than nothing. I began on page one and mindlessly read the paragraphs of text.

_Blah blah blah… Gill reads this junk?_

After a while I wanted to throw the book into the ocean, but I enjoyed looking at the cheesy illustrations. One of them was a fat stick figure holding bags of money. How could a stick figure be fat? I wasn't sure, but this one definitely was. My eyes snapped up suddenly at the sound of a light snore. Chase had slid down in his seat so his head could rest on the back of the bench. He looked like he was in the most uncomfortable position known to man with his neck bent to the side like that. Gill's diary was setting in his lap, open and face down. The gold lettering glinted in the sunlight.

Gill chuckled. I didn't know if he was laughing at me or Chase.

"What?" I whispered, my brows knitting together.

"You," he responded simply with a half-smile. "You make the weirdest faces at things."

I closed _The Fiscal Year and You_ and pointed to Chase. "Don't you see that? How is he sleeping in that position?"

Gill turned to his left. "Huh, not my problem if he ends up with a stiff neck," he remarked, making a play on what Chase had said to him earlier.

I glanced at Luke, who had been awfully quiet this entire time. He dropped the piece of string in his lap and stared at us with a blank expression. After a second of silence, he looked like he was about to burst into song with the way his mouth twitched and his foot tapped. "Can't I go walk around or something? I'm dying of boredom."

Gill shrugged. "I guess. Try to stay out of trouble though. I'd rather not pay for damages caused by you."

Luke flashed a mischievous grin and stood up. He grabbed his axe out of habit, but Gill stopped him.

"The axe stays."

A smile spread across my face and I almost burst out laughing again. I really needed to get off this boat. It was making me crazy.

Luke bumped into several passengers on his way to the deck, including Chase, who didn't even move.

I was bored, so I did the only logical thing to do when you're stuck on a boat – ask about your companion's childhood.

"So Gill," I began quietly. He closed his book that I didn't think he had even been reading and looked at me. "You and Chase were friends as children?"

"Um. I guess you could say that."

"What were you guys like as kids? And Luke? Was he always so energetic?"

His gaze drifted to the side. "Luke has always been a hyperactive jokester." It sounded like he was reciting an encyclopedia. "He was good friends with Owen as a kid, and they were constantly playing around in school and climbing trees and doing dangerous things like that. He broke his arm trying to imitate a squirrel that had climbed on top of his house once. I still remember when he walked around town and showed everyone the bone sticking out of his arm. That was mentally scarring."

I laughed imaging Luke as a child imitating a squirrel. That sounded like something he would do.

"And Chase? Was he always so…?" I didn't know exactly the right word to describe his personality. He wasn't inherently rude, just... harsh. And his jokes were often made at the expense of others.

…that didn't make them any less funny though.

Gill glanced to his left and lowered his voice. "I know what you mean. He used to be a lot worse. I remember when he first came to the island, he wouldn't talk to anyone."

"Really?"

His eyes shifted to a spot behind me as he continued talking. I noticed he did that a lot. "Everyone knew that Chase had come from the city, but since he never told anyone about why he'd come here, some kids started rumors. One day in school, Luna announced that she had figured out why Chase came to the island. She said that he had escaped from the circus and his parents were speculated to be the bearded lady and a clown."

"Was she serious?" I asked as I tried to suppress a giggle.

He nodded and rolled his eyes, looking back at me for less than a moment. "My mother felt bad for him, so she invited him to our house for dinner."

"And that's how you became friends?"

"Not at all. He said nothing the entire time except a few words to critique my mother's cooking. I was appalled, but after he left, my mother gave me this lecture about the nature of people and how you can't judge somebody until you've experienced exactly what they have, which is impossible."

Gill shook his head and his smile faded. His gaze returned to my face. "My mother passed away soon after that. My father took over teaching at the school for a while until they found a… replacement. He was so busy with being the mayor and teaching at the school that he never packed me a lunch like my mother did."

I bit my lip as Gill laughed quietly, an empty sound void of humor. "One day I was sitting in the school during recess doing my homework. All the other kids were outside eating lunch except for Chase, who always stayed away from other people. Honestly, I didn't like him much. He was a jerk who made some of the girls cry with his blunt sarcasm, but I guess he noticed that I hadn't been eating lunch since my mother died. He offered me half of his sandwich one day, and I had to admit, it was really good."

"Aw, that's so nice." I glanced at Chase. It felt weird to be talking about him while he was sitting right there, but he wasn't showing any signs of waking up soon.

"Shocking, isn't it?"

"What? That Chase can be nice?"

He nodded and stared at me with an entirely serious expression. I knew he had to have been kidding, though.

"No," I said, remembering all the nice things he's done for me, like joking around to make me forget my nightmare and coming to the city with me. "No, that's not too shocking."

The old lady beside Gill had been eavesdropping. Her face was pressed into a book, but her eyes were peeking above her reading glasses and focused on me. They darted back and forth as we spoke, like she was watching a tennis match.

We both fell silent after that, aware that the lady was listening to our conversation. I got bored again, and I really wanted to talk to Chase, but he was busy sleeping.

_Maybe if I stare at him long enough, he'll wake up. He's been sleeping for too long anyway._

It's been known to work before on my other test subjects, so I fixed my gaze on his soft peach locks that fell haphazardly over his face. He looked so young, but I supposed lots of people did when they were sleeping. I thought about what he must have been like as a child, and what could possibly have happened to give him a scar like the one he had. After a few minutes I realized it wasn't working, and I probably looked like a creepy stalker.

When I averted my gaze, I saw that Gill was staring at me. Not an admiring stare, but more of a what-the-heck-are-you-doing stare. I laughed nervously and twirled a strand of hair between my fingers.

"I won't even ask." He shook his head.

"No! See, I'm super bored and I just thought that I could make Chase wake up with my eyes if I looked at him long enough." That sounded really dumb when I said it aloud. "Sometimes it works," I added in a feeble attempt to redeem myself.

"That's it? Well you're doing it wrong." Gill gave the tiniest hint of a smile and harshly elbowed Chase in the ribs.

I was caught between being in shock and laughing hysterically. "Gill! You didn't need to do that."

"Well, that's what he gets for hitting me _multiple times_ and stealing my journal." He snatched his diary- er- journal and put it back in his bag. His penetrating glare shot daggers at Chase, but it went unnoticed.

Chase groaned as he straightened out and rubbed his neck. He blinked sleepily against the mid-morning sunlight. "Hm? Talking about me?"

I froze with my mouth slightly open. He knew we were talking about him?

"Hah. You wish."

It took a second to realize that Chase was only kidding. That would have been so creepy if he thought I was obsessing over his mysterious past.

"What'd you do that for anyway?" he mumbled. I could tell he was drowsy.

I tried to savor the moments until he turned all sarcastic again. It was just a few seconds when his personality seemed almost agreeable, but it made me wonder if the sarcasm was just a façade.

"Angela was bored and I was sick of listening to your obnoxious snoring for the past two hours."

"Liar. I do not snore. And two hours? Really?"

Gill ignored his question. "Did you enjoy that book?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

Chase let out a sigh and stretched. "So boring… worst book I've ever read. It actually managed to put me to sleep."

I laughed but didn't fail to notice the sea-air hype was wearing off. I was getting tired, and I realized that Chase had the right idea to sleep through most of the ride. "How much longer?"

Gill checked his watch again. "Twenty minutes or so."

"Where'd Luke go?"

"Oh man." I smacked my forehead; I had completely forgotten about him. He was probably causing trouble somewhere. "I'll go search for him."

"Nah, I'll do it. I'm all stiff anyway," Chase said, standing up. I was surprised he offered. I didn't think he got along well with Luke.

When he was gone, I turned to Gill and said, "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Oh you know, for not telling Chase that I was um… staring at him."

He smiled. "Oh that? Yeah, sure." He studied my face for a moment before sighing. "You're just…"

"I'm what?"

"You're so _innocent_."

"What do you mean? Do I annoy you?" I asked. Calling someone innocent wasn't exactly a compliment. I guess it could have been, but by the way Gill said it, it sounded more like a disease.

"No," he said softly. "Just be careful."

"You don't think I can handle myself? Are you suggesting that I'll get myself into trouble?"

He closed his eyes briefly and pressed a few fingers against his temple. "Not the kind you're thinking of."

How would he know what I was thinking? What was he talking about anyway? I didn't know what to say after that, so we just sat in silence. I looked toward the deck and saw Luke and Chase talking to a middle-aged lady who didn't look very happy. They both walked away with similar expressions on their faces.

"I can't decide what's worse: the fact that she thought you called her big, or the fact that you actually asked to try on her wig." Chase laughed as he sat down, and Luke trailed behind.

"That was a woman?" Luke asked, his mouth dropping open. He looked at me as he sat down and smiled.

I smiled in return and thought about what my family would say when I showed up back at home with three guys in tow. That wouldn't fare well. One was pushing it. Two was _really _pushing it. And three warranted suspicions about the ethics of Castanet and/or my newly chosen career. I could already hear my father's voice saying, "You said you were a _farmer_, right? Ah, just making sure."

The ship came into port, and I breathed in the familiar scent of smog and let my eyes travel across the cityscape. I inwardly smiled as I sized up our group: an axe-wielding carpenter, a hot-tempered, sarcastic chef, a slightly narcissistic aspiring mayor, and an innocent girl with a fixation on the danger of hobos.

I laughed quietly to myself. What could go wrong?

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><p><strong>Sooo… what did you think? It's long, I know. 4,000 words to be exact, excluding author's notes. ^_^' It could have been omitted from the story, but it was already written so why not post it? Lol It's FanFiction for crying out loud! I have a right to post! xD<strong>

**Haha, anyway, please let me know your thoughts on the story so far. What do you think is going on with Gill? And Chase? What's gonna happen in the city? :O Is Luke gonna get arrested for toting his axe in a school zone? Ahh save the children! I feel like I'm talking to myself as I type this author's note. I should stop now. xP**

**Would you guys be angry with my fic if eight of the following chapters took place in the city instead of on Castanet? 'Cause that's how it's looking so far. :P**

**Thanks SO MUCH to the reviewers on chapter five: FlamingIceWolfGirl, Hidden By The Sun, Kageno Shuri, Penny ToughGirl, AnimaniacXOX, and theatrelove123! Love you all :) *wipes away tear* It makes me so happy to hear from my readers! :D**

**~ Violet**


	7. Friends

Luke and I wandered through the crowds and masses of people. Everyone was either on their cell phone or texting, and this thoroughly confused Luke. Both Chase and Gill claimed they had business they needed to take care of elsewhere, and went their separate ways. I had argued that it would be safer if we all stayed together, but, of course, was shot down with Chase's sharp tongue saying, "We aren't five anymore." Some escort he turned out to be. He probably just wanted to get away from Luke after what happened when we left the boat. Luke was in such an excited state to be in the city that he accidentally shoved Chase, which caused him to drop his open bag and spill its contents on the deck. Then, in an effort to assist Chase in gathering up his clothes, Luke managed to advertise to the entire world the color of Chase's boxer shorts. He really didn't mean to, that's just how it happened.

"What are they doing?" Luke inquired with wide eyes, pointing to a woman with her phone pressed against her ear.

"Those are called cell phones. They're like regular telephones except mobile. You can send text messages on them too," I explained. He just nodded, though I'm not positive he understood exactly what I meant.

We continued down the sidewalk and seemed to be going against the flow of people. Suddenly he stopped, and I snapped my head around to see what was wrong. His golden eyes were widening in awe, and his finger slowly rose to point at something. I followed his gaze to a man across the street dressed in a hot dog suit. _Oh man…_

"Come on, Luke." I tried to grab his arm and pull him forward, as he was beginning to create a roadblock on the sidewalk. "We're gonna miss the bus!"

He seemed to be in a trance, pulled by the magnetic field of the hot dog guy. I had no choice but to lead him there and get it over with. So there we stood in the busy street, Luke gawking at the hot dog dude with his mouth hanging open.

"Hot dogs! Six dollars!" the man shouted as he motioned to his hot dog cart.

"What's a hot dog?" Luke asked, fingering the man's costume until he received a dirty look, and the man threatened to call the cops. He repeated the foreign term, "Hot dog…"

"Well it's… um..." I thought hard for an answer, but the only thing that came to mind was the awful grade-school rumor of whale vomit. "I honestly don't know."

"Can I try one?"

"Um... okay. You might not like it, though. It's made out of meat; that much I know for sure. …I think."

Luke shook his head and smiled like he knew something I didn't. He took the first bite without hesitation. I watched as his face turned from pure delight to utter horror and then to bewilderment. I couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. He examined the hot dog and then took another bite, chewing slowly as if contemplating the flavors and textures. I wouldn't dwell on that too closely if I was him.

"Come on. We really have to go now," I said and pulled him through the sea of people. The sun was getting lower in the sky and I feared we had missed our bus. We were supposed to meet Chase and Gill at the bus stop and then ride it to my parents' house. My pace began to pick up until I was almost jogging. Luke was getting more difficult to drag along as time went by. I glanced behind me and noticed his face was slightly green.

"Uh… I don't think I like hot dogs…" he mumbled. I just got a terrible image of Luke throwing up on the sidewalk, so I hurried even faster and pulled him into the nearest building, which happened to be a Laundromat. I ordered him to go into the restrooms and not to come out until he was sure he wasn't going to hurl. Taking the nearest chair, I sighed and buried my face in my hands. We were never going to make it to the bus on time.

"Excuse me, but you look distressed. Can I help you?" a soft voice asked beside me. I peeked out from my hands and noticed a young woman, maybe a year or two older than me, with short brown hair, brown eyes, and a blue dress sitting right next to me. Smiling halfheartedly, I shook my head.

"Oh, no. Thanks," I said. "I think we're going to miss our bus."

She frowned and tucked a strand of light brown hair behind her ear. "I'm so sorry to hear that. Are you from around here?"

"I used to live in this area," I explained. "I'm just back for a visit."

"I see," she said, smiling. "Is your boyfriend alright?"

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend. We're just friends, and yeah, I think he'll be okay. It was his first time eating a hot dog."

She laughed. "That's good. You're still too young to get married anyway…"

"Uh. Right." I was slightly taken aback by her comment, but I couldn't help wondering if she was right. Was I too young to get married? Was I still too young for a boyfriend? Gill seemed to think I was _innocent_. Did that mean I was doomed in a relationship?

The nearby washing machines sloshed around and hummed, filling the otherwise awkward silence.

"I'm sorry. That sounded rude, didn't it?" Her face turned red. "The truth is I don't think I'm much older than you, and I made the mistake of getting into a serious relationship a few years ago."

"Oh." I couldn't think of a better reply as I had barely any experience in the romantic relationship area. My fingers found a loose thread on the end of my sleeve, and I began tugging on it.

"Sorry, it's just a habit of mine to look out for others," she said with her head bowed in embarrassment. "Sometimes I overstep my bounds."

"Don't worry about it." I smiled. This girl reminded me of myself in a way, though I couldn't place my finger on what exactly it was about her. "I'm Angela, by the way."

She smiled back, grateful for the change of subject. "My name's Elli."

And thus began an unlikely friendship. I revealed to her that I was on a trip to the city to retrieve my dog and take him back to my new home on an island, and I also told her how I might go crazy because I was stuck with three guys who didn't speak girl. She sympathized and offered advice. I was beginning to think that maybe she was my long lost older sister. She even told me a little about her failed relationship. Apparently, the doctor she was infatuated with in her hometown got married to another girl, so she moved to the city. And that wasn't even the failed relationship. While she was working in the local hospital, she met a young man there who was undergoing tests for hemolytic anemia. Whatever that was… I didn't ask.

"He was really funny and cute. We got to know each other when he came in for tests and whatnot every week. He was pretty sick…" She fiddled with her bracelet. "But he got better, and you know what he told me? He said I was the one who cured him."

"Aww! That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard. I wish there were more guys like that."

Elli frowned. "I don't know… the relationship didn't really work out, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Well, about a year after we got married, he left me. So the moral of the story is: don't trust men." She smiled jokingly, but I got the feeling that she actually meant it. It would be scary if someone you thought you knew well turned out to be someone completely different. It would be even scarier if you got married to that person and then discovered they weren't who you thought they were, and they didn't love you back.

At that moment, Luke emerged from the restroom, and all color was drained from his face. He made his way to a seat near me and sat down.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah. We're going to miss the bus, Angela."

"Don't worry about it. We'll get there somehow," I said and gave him a reassuring smile.

Luke nodded again. "I think I have a fever. It's not a big deal for me because I'm pretty tough, you know, but I just don't want to get you sick or anything."

"Aw Luke, that's so nice of you."

Elli cleared her throat delicately. "I don't mean to intrude, but I happen to be a nurse."

"Oh right! Do you think Luke needs medicine? Is a fever serious?"

She felt his forehead and tilted her head in thought. "Hmm… I don't think it's too high."

She reached into her pocket and scribbled something on a piece of paper. "It's my number. Don't hesitate to call if you're getting worried or his symptoms get worse. Or if you just want to have some girl talk," she added with a smile.

"Thanks, I definitely will." My eyes caught on two people walking down the sidewalk outside. Chase and Gill. Chase had his hands shoved in his pockets, and he was staring at the ground. Gill lagged a few steps behind and looked worried. "So sorry, Elli! We've got to go." The piece of paper crumpled in my fist as I thrust my hand into my pocket.

"Alright." She smiled uncertainly. "Call if you need!"

I paused and turned back. "I will!" Grabbing Luke by the arm, I pulled him outside and waved to Elli with my free hand.

I struggled to push past all the people and catch up with Chase and Gill.

"Gill!" I shouted above the noisy cars that zoomed past.

He glanced backward and I jumped up frantically, waving my arms like a lunatic. "Gill! Over here!"

I accidentally shoved a lady in the process of getting to the other end of the sidewalk. She gave me a dirty look, and I mumbled an apology as we finally caught up to them.

"What are you doing?" I asked the same time Gill asked, "Where have you been?"

"Luke got sick," I explained, jabbing a finger at the blue-haired boy standing next to me. Luke smiled sheepishly.

"Well that's good. We've been looking for you, since _someone_ forgot which bus stop we were supposed to meet you at," Chase said, rolling his eyes.

Gill crossed his arms in defense but apparently didn't have a comeback.

"It doesn't matter. We'll just catch the bus tomorrow. Look how late it is! Are you guys hungry? I'm starving!"

"Me too," Luke agreed. I guessed he would be after… well, throwing up.

We stopped at a nearby fast food restaurant, much to Chase's dismay and settled in the greasy booth while we waited for our order to get made.

"This place is disgusting," Chase commented with a scowl. He was staring at a guy sitting in the corner dressed like a hobo who was taking advantage of their free Wi-Fi. I laughed. Since when did hobos have laptops?

It wasn't the nicest place, but it was familiar and inexpensive. An acne-ridden teen dropped our tray of food on the table and walked away. I grabbed my fries and began munching on them, only to be disappointed when I discovered they were too salty.

Everyone was silent as they ate, so I took that as an opportunity to look at my three companions. Each of them had their own frustrating issues, but there weren't any other three people I would rather have been stuck with. Except maybe a girl would have been nice for someone to relate to, but I wasn't complaining. Now I had Elli if I needed anything. As it began to get even darker outside, I just realized something very strange.

None of them had mothers.

Maybe a strange accident occurred that killed them all at the same time, or maybe it was just a coincidence.

"What?" Luke asked. I had been staring at him. Quickly I looked away and bit my lip.

"It's nothing."

"No, tell me!"

"I shouldn't."

"What is it?" Gill interjected.

"It's just a random and potentially offensive observation that I made," I mumbled.

"You _just_ realized that Chase looks like a girl with those hairpins? Angela, that's nothing new," Gill said, laughing. I laughed too, while Chase glared at him.

"Really, what is it?" Luke persisted.

"Um… I just realized that none of you have mothers."

Everyone fell silent and I instantly regretted saying it.

"You were thinking about _that_?" Chase asked, breaking the silence and raising his eyebrow.

"Yeah, sorry. I didn't mean to bring up anything bad, I just noticed it."

"It's okay. It's true," Luke said as he bit the top of his French fry off. I could tell it wasn't okay, and I shouldn't have said anything. Gill became silent as he kept his head down and stared at his salad. He had refused a hamburger and chicken strips when offered, which led me to believe he was secretly a vegetarian or something.

"My mom was in an accident," Luke said quietly.

"Oh you don't have to-"

"No, don't worry. You should know. You're my friend," he said, smiling at me. It made me feel fuzzy inside, and I swear I was blushing.

"Thanks, Luke. I'm sorry about your mom."

He nodded and took a sip of his Pepsi. I glanced at Gill, who was actually staring at _me _for once instead of the other way around. He continued looking at me until I smiled.

He sighed, probably realizing he was going to have to tell us sooner or later. "Um… my mother became ill and passed away when I was young."

I bit my lip. "What did she have?"

"They didn't know," he said. I didn't fail to notice the bitterness on the word 'they.' The idea just occurred to me that maybe Gill didn't like doctors because his mother had died from an unknown disease. More specifically, maybe he didn't like Irene and Jin. I didn't even realize that maybe some of the townsfolk in Castanet might have tension between them. I wondered if the whole 'big happy family' thing was just a front.

"That's terrible."

He just nodded and took another bite of his salad.

All eyes automatically shifted to Chase. He didn't have either of his parents, but maybe they just lived somewhere else. Just because he lived alone didn't mean his parents were dead, did it?

He pushed away his half-eaten burger and untouched French fries. "I could do way better than this poor excuse for a 'happy meal,'" he said, changing the subject.

"What happened to your parents, Chase? You never told anyone. I want to know. We're friends, right?" Luke asked.

Chase didn't look up. "Luke, no offense, but you think you're friends with everybody."

"Come on," Luke pressed. "Please tell us! It'll be like the friendship circle thing where everyone shares their feelings and starts crying." He assumed a begging position with his hands clasped in front of him, and his eyes got wide and glossy. "Chase, what if you die? The secrets of your past will die with you. I volunteer to take on the responsibility of keeping your memory alive, but you neeeed to tell me!"

Chase's mouth dropped open slightly, and he looked like he was going to say something, but he stayed silent. After a moment, he narrowed his eyes at Luke. "Did you eat paint chips as a child?"

The time was totally inappropriate, but I burst out laughing. That was the funniest thing I had ever heard. Luke crossed his arms indignantly. Gill cracked a smile but tried to hide it, and Chase didn't even realize he had said something so funny.

"I'm serious. Why else would someone act like this? You are an _adult_, Luke. There are no friendship circles, no feelings, and definitely no crying. I'll relieve you of the heavy burden of keeping my memory alive right now and say that it's just as well if my so-called 'secrets' die with me."

"Chase, you're such a jerk sometimes," I laughed. Then I froze. I had never said anything like that before, so what if I actually hurt his feelings? I shouldn't have called him a jerk.

His violet eyes snapped to me, and he looked surprised. I was just about to apologize, when he did something totally unexpected. He actually smiled. The butterflies in my stomach intensified.

"Start with your mom, where is she?" Luke prompted. He was trying to ignore the blatant insult to his intelligence, but I could tell it had bothered him. I realized that Luke was being funny and dramatic on purpose to get laughs and cheer people up, but sometimes it backfired, as it usually did when Chase was around.

"Fine. Since you want to know so badly, I might as well put an end to the circus rumors." He shot a pointed look in Gill's direction and then turned back to Luke expressionlessly. "My mom died giving birth."

My stomach twisted at his blunt response, and I surprised myself by asking, "And what about your dad?"

"He was an alcoholic and got into a fatal car accident."

"You're an orphan?" Luke practically gasped, inching closer to the edge of the bench so his stomach pressed against the table.

Chase scowled. "That's why I never tell anyone, because I get labeled as an orphan and people automatically treat me differently. I barely even remember my parents' faces, so it doesn't matter."

He stood up and dumped his tray of hardly-touched food into the trash.

"Oh sorry," Luke mumbled.

"Why does everyone say that? It's not like you did anything," he said, shaking his head. "Just forget about it, okay?"

So that's why he always got mad at me for apologizing when I didn't do anything. He was probably tired of hearing people say that to him. If I had no parents, I don't know what I would do. I knew he wouldn't want me to, but I felt bad for him.

I threw my food away, and Luke and Gill did the same. We exited the restaurant and began walking down the street.

"We'll probably have to find a motel or something to stay the night in," I said, glancing up at the black sky. There were hardly any stars visible in the city. It felt like home as I walked the streets, and for a second I wondered why I left this place. Then I remembered.

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><p><em>AN: Ohh, you guys and your beautiful reviews. :') Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, adding to your alerts, favs, etc. Also a huge thank you to the people who left amazing, supportive reviews on chapter six! Lyric dared me to add in the "Did you eat paint chips as a child?" line (courtesy of Steven Tyler). I said I would and this is the only place I could find where it fit. xD_

_I don't want to confuse anyone by the addition of Elli in my story, but she's an important character and quite fitting to the role I needed to fill. Remember this is Animal Parade and not Tree of Tranquility where she works in the Town Hall. Since she appears in lots of Harvest Moon games with various jobs, I will clarify and tell you that in my story, she's the nurse from Mineral Town._

_Also, check out my rewrite of chapter one! The plot is still the same, but the chapter is much better overall, in my opinion. I'm working on improving chapter two currently… :P_

_I'm notorious for long author's notes. -_- But I have one more thing to add – I PROMISE the next chapter will deliver all this hyped action. After that chapter, things start falling into place, or getting more confusing depending on how you look at it. ;)_

_Thank you for reading!_

_~ Violet_


	8. The Promise

_A/N: I usually don't say this, but this chapter needs a drumroll or something. It's the long awaited action! Or as Penny ToughGirl put it, "appropriate violence." I suppose the rating on this chapter could go up to a T due to mild violence, so if you are easily disturbed by… scenes of action, then I don't know what you're even doing on the internet anyhow. xD This chapter isn't as long as the other ones, but it has been rewritten approximately five times to get it just right. Hope you enjoy!_

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><p>After we ate dinner (if over-salty French fries could be considered as such), I had a burst of energy. My excitement was mainly due to the fact that Luke, Chase and Gill were starting to open up to me, and they trusted me. Because of my newfound enthusiasm, however, I managed to get myself separated by an entire two blocks from the group. I guess I wasn't thinking and walking fast. Bad combo.<p>

Suddenly aware of my unprotected state, I glanced around. There was only the stillness of the empty streets and looming, graffiti-laden buildings that were squished up against each other like stalks of corn in a field. I paused and rocked forward on my heels in a momentary survey of the long block ahead. Litter and child's chalk drawings were scattered on the sidewalk and I began to realize we were on the poor side of town. The side of town where huge families of more than ten people crammed into apartment buildings, and children flooded out onto the streets during the day to play with cans and jump ropes. The side of town where you learn to hold your own, keep your eyes down, and swipe food from the supermarket across the street. The side of town where bad things are bound to happen. Especially at night.

Thankfully, there was no one in sight.

I breathed a sigh of relief and smoothed the hair away from my face. My hands froze in the middle of tucking a strand behind my ear, and I felt a burning rush of panic jolt through my stomach. There was a sound. Taking a few rigid steps forward to peer around the corner of a brick building, I held my breath. Rustling noises emitted from the dark alley, agitating the otherwise quiet evening, and I blinked as my feet seemed to meld with the sidewalk.

The lid of a garbage can tumbled down onto the ground with a cacophonous clatter, and huge golden eyes stared back at me in fear. A cat. It was only a cat. A nervous laugh escaped my lips as I twisted my neck around to catch sight of a vehicle turning down the street. My eyes returned to the cat, who leaped off the rim of the trash can and shook its body to remove litter that had clung to its coat. It sat down suddenly and gazed at me, oddly not afraid. It must have been owned at one point. The cat meowed softly and seemed to beckon me over to it. I released my grip on the rough brick and stepped into the alley, making sure there was no one around. I bent down near the feline, and it arched its back in a contented stretch and approached me.

"Hey kitty," I cooed, reaching out a hand to pet its head. A sound from the street caused me to bolt upright and scare the cat away. It was probably nothing, but I was tempting danger by setting myself up in a dark alley like that. Shaking my head, I retreated to the safety of the sidewalk and glanced over my shoulder. How could I be so naïve?

There was an old pickup driving down the street toward me. Heat crawled up my neck as I realized the pickup had already gone down this street once before. I squinted into the darkened windshield to see the driver. His startling green eyes caught mine, and for one horrifying second, his jaw went slack and his knuckles seemed to whiten with his tight grip on the steering wheel. There was one more man in the cab of the truck and two in the bed.

_This is bad._

I whirled around, closed my eyes for a brief moment, and walked purposefully toward what was left of the group. There was only Chase. I didn't see Gill or Luke; it was like they disappeared. When I finally reached him, I couldn't catch my breath, though it wasn't because I had been running.

"What's your problem?" he asked, which was his way of seeing if I was okay.

"The um... It's n-nothing. Where'd Gill and Luke go?"

"There was a hotel a few blocks back and they went to check in. I'm just coming to get you so you don't wander off and get lost. I seem to recall agreeing to the position of escort." He put his hands into his pockets and turned the opposite direction.

I followed his lead and started walking toward the hotel he mentioned, trying to ignore the sound of tires rolling on the asphalt behind us. Some guys in the pickup were laughing and shouting at us.

Chase glanced behind him and sighed. "This city is full of idiots."

One of them whistled loudly, and I turned around just in time to see the truck swerve onto the sidewalk. The driver cut the engine, shoved open his door, and started approaching us. Panic began to bubble up inside me. I took a deep breath and looked at Chase.

"Chase?" His violet gaze met mine. "Will you promise me something?"

He gave me a sad, almost pained look and tilted his head to the side. Heavy footsteps thudded on the sidewalk, causing me to cringe. "It'll be okay, right?" I asked.

"Seriously, Angela? What do you think they're gonna do? Kidnap us? You _are _paranoid. They're probably just going to ask for our money or something stupid like that."

"Chase! Promise me."

He sighed and muttered something about me needing excessive verbal reassurances. "Okay, sure. I promise. I won't let anything happen." Even though he mumbled it, the words still gave me a sliver of comfort.

"Hey!" The guy finally caught up to us. Chase and I turned simultaneously; my hands fidgeted and scratched nervously at my arms. The man opened his mouth to speak but closed it and narrowed his green eyes at Chase, then looked directly at me. I swallowed hard. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" he asked in a challenging tone.

"Uh _no_," Chase said. "I wouldn't be caught dead-" I grabbed his arm to stop him from finishing his sentence. "What do you want?" he demanded instead.

The man ignored Chase and shifted his gaze to something behind us. "Just gonna stand there and gawk? Don't you got somewhere to be, hotshot?"

I twisted around to see Gill standing behind us. His face was hardened with confusion and disapproval.

"We really don't have time for this." His blue eyes settled on Chase with a razor sharp glare. "Let's go."

I wanted to obey, but Chase didn't move. I felt rooted to the spot. The man leaned in closer and jabbed a finger in my face. "Don't play stupid with me. I remember you. Did you think I'd forget that easily?"

"What are you talking about? I have no idea who you are. _She_ has no idea who you are. We don't even live around here," Chase said, taking a step forward. I couldn't tear my gaze away from the man. It was hard to tell his age, but behind the baggy clothes, unshaven face, and a layer of dirt, he looked around our age. And there was something familiar about the way he seemed to enunciate every syllable as a threat.

"I'll take that nice watch," the guy said, ignoring everything Chase asked him. He nodded at Gill who thrust his hand into his pocket a second too late. He drew it out slowly and began to unfasten it from his wrist. Who was this guy and why was he targeting us? Where were his friends? We would be outnumbered if they decided to show up.

"No you won't," Chase protested. I noticed his arm slightly extended from his side, muscles tense, creating a slight barrier between me and the man. Chase probably didn't even realize it, but he was trying to protect me out of instinct. Vaguely, I wondered where he had picked up that protective habit.

The guy with the green eyes reached into his coat pocket. My hands began trembling as he pulled out something unidentifiable. I had a jumbled mess of flashbacks to my many nightmares. I looked to Chase and hoped he wouldn't start arguing with him. There was this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I was almost positive that fear was emanating from every beat of my heart.

The man sensed my discomfort and gave me a lazy smile. "Relax girly, I'm not looking for trouble. It's just a little_ insurance_." He held out his palm, and Gill reluctantly handed over his prized watch. "Do you realize how hard it is for an ex-convict to get a job? I served my sentence, but no one wants to hire me. What's in your bag there?"

Chase balled his hand up into a fist. "You think I'll just give you whatever you want?"

"Chase stop," I whispered, staring at the _insurance_.

The guy suddenly looked at me. An expression of realization spread across his features, and his eyes grew fierce. He stayed silent but his body twitched forward as if he was fighting an invisible restraint. That was the moment when I knew. Something was going to happen and I had to get out of there. My chance of escape was dwindling, and before I looked to see what the man was now doing, my body seemed to move on its own. I spun around, putting my back to him, and began walking at a tense pace. My heart was pounding in synch with the chant that was playing in loops in my mind. _Please don't follow us. Please don't follow us._

With aggravation apparent on his face, Gill joined in step a few paces ahead. I glanced behind me, and as the man continued to stand there, I realized we were in the clear. Chase shook his head in disapproval and trailed behind us on the sidewalk. My hands were shaking with adrenaline and the thought of how that situation could have played out instead. That guy looked so familiar, and he acted like he remembered me from somewhere. He even seemed to recognize Chase. The question was _how_?

But it didn't matter. We were safe now. I allowed a relieved giggle to escape and I turned behind me to say something to Chase. But there was something wrong. The man wasn't just standing on the sidewalk; he was walking toward me, no, more like _charging_ at me. And Chase? He saw it too. He must have. But he wasn't moving. I barely had time to scream.

Only then, when a force slammed into my body and caused the air to escape from my lungs, did I realize that it wasn't that simple. We weren't safe. I yelped, not from pain, but from shock and confusion. For one blurry moment I thought I had been hit by a car, but it was something else.

My knees and palms made harsh contact with the asphalt, and I felt the stinging from my abraded skin almost immediately. Gill was at my side in a matter of seconds, helping me to my feet. His hand gripped my arm firmly in a swift, confident yank, but his eyes betrayed a different emotion. Surprise. Bewilderment. Anger. Who was the anger directed at? Where was the guy? I spun around to see what was going on, but he jerked me backward. I lost my footing and fell into him. His arm wrapped clumsily around my shoulders as he gathered me into an awkward embrace. I looked up, confused, and tried to pull away.

His intense eyes glared down at me, but when he spoke, his voice lost all eloquence. A hint of desperation crept into his tone and it scared me. "Angela," he breathed. The words to the rest of his sentence didn't come, and he didn't look at me again. He was watching something behind me, all the while backing up and tugging on my arm to follow. I twisted out of his hold, and by the time he grabbed my arm again, it was too late. I saw what he had tried to keep me from seeing.

My throat tightened with fear. A knife clattered to the ground, and a surge of horror seized my chest. _No._ I wanted to rush forward but my legs were like cement, immobile.

"Angela," Gill said again, barely penetrating my mental wall. His voice sounded far away, and too late I realized he had been yelling at me. _Get away from here._

At that moment, my voice finally got the message from my brain to cry out his name. "Chase!" My eyes searched frantically for a shred of something familiar: his cynical smile, his violet irises, his tangled peachy hair, but I couldn't see past the man's shadow closing in on me, his hand bearing down on my shoulder and digging into my flesh.

Pain seared my thoughts as I was thrown against the wall. An unrelenting finger on my chin forced me to look at my aggressor. I kept my eyes closed as an act of defiance. I wouldn't give him the pleasure of seeing my pain.

"Did you see that?" he asked in a low gravelly voice near my ear. Too close for comfort. "Just like old times, yeah?"

Who was this guy? Raging curiosity won over and I cracked an eye open.

"Only this time, there won't be a next time."

The blur of saltwater in my eyes prevented me from seeing. Everything was a haze, shadows and figures pulsating in my vision, unwelcome spots dancing around over my sight. A lump formed in my throat. "W-what do you…?" The word slammed into my mind, and it fell out of my mouth before its weight had a chance to settle. "Killed?" My knees went weak as I licked off the sour taste it left on my lips.

His supporting grip on my shoulder dropped and so did I. He knelt down next to me, and I could have sworn I saw a hint of sadness behind those emerald green eyes. "Now you'll know the pain I suffered because of you. I'm just sorry it had to be this way, Angie. You tell anyone, and you'll regret it."

The world was slowly dissolving around me. Everything began fading like the ending credits of a movie, and my mind barely registered the fact that he had used my nickname from childhood. All I thought about in the final moments before unconsciousness was Chase.

Killed.

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><p><em>AN: Thanks so much to my four reviewers! _

_Kageno Shuri – Thank you for reading and reviewing! I appreciate your input. :)_

_Penny ToughGirl – Thanks so much as always! You never miss reviewing a chapter, and I extremely appreciate that. Your unwavering support has been incredible. :')_

_Usuihentai727 – Thanks for your suggestions! I'd already had this chapter planned out and written though, so I hope it didn't disappoint and you stick with my story until the end. :)_

_Anon – Thank you so much! :') That really means a lot to me, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story!_

_I can't thank you all enough for reading and leaving reviews. They're so encouraging!_

_Since I left you all on a cliffhanger, I made sure the next chapter was typed, edited, and all ready to post! Be on the lookout for it in a few days. Everyone always writes about the heroine fainting/getting sick/seriously injured, so I feel like I'm going in the opposite flow as everybody else with this turn of events. But that's okay, I guess. x) If you're confused, don't worry, I wrote this a little cryptically on purpose. Your questions will all be answered eventually._

_Review please? I love them so much._

_~ Violet_


	9. Stay

One time, in my last year of elementary school, I was walking along the fence of the playground, out in the field where no one else bothered to go. The sound my stick made when I drug it across the chain-link was somehow satisfying, like it was my own song. More spontaneous and natural than the songs we had to sing in music class. I stared at my feet as I tried to walk with one foot directly in front of the other. It was almost summertime; the birds laughed and swooped low in the breeze, pausing in the bushes and then scattering again like a swarm of mosquitos.

When I reached the end of the fence and looked up to turn around, there was a girl. She was small, with long tousled hair that tumbled in waves down to her waist, large downcast eyes, and full, dark eyelashes. Her tiny fingers wrapped around the links in the fence and rattled with the vibration of my music. I couldn't help but notice that she was barefoot. And on the wrong side of the fence.

I stopped and let the twig fall from my grasp. The girl looked up when the fence stopped jangling, and her lips formed into a small curious smile. She was younger than me. Much younger. I couldn't believe her parents would let her wander around the streets barefoot during school hours.

"Hey, aren't you…" I began but closed my mouth. The girl turned away from me and gazed down the sidewalk. I squinted against the glare of sunlight on the white hot pavement and made out a familiar silhouette. The boy. I knew his routine.

He would walk out of the supermarket across the street with a paper bag under one arm, continue down the sidewalk, and shuffle across the crosswalk. Once he was on the same side of the street as the girl, he would stop, not coming any closer than the traffic light pole at the end of the block. He would stand there, just staring, shifting the weight of his groceries every few minutes, and finally he would call out, and the girl would retreat from the fence.

I was always in the same spot to witness this at least once a week, usually on a Thursday. This time, something new happened.

Excitement lit up the girl's eyes as if an idea just sprang into her head. She motioned for me to come closer and I obliged. The girl leaned in and whispered, "What's it like?"

I blinked and twisted my head to look at the figure at the end of the block. He was just standing there. Watching us silently.

"What is what like?" I whispered back. There was really no reason to whisper, but something about her felt secretive and fragile.

She poked a finger through the fence and wiggled it. "That. It looks fun."

I glanced down to where she was pointing. The stick. Smiling, I bent down to pick it up and slid it through one of the links in the fence. "Try for yourself."

She grinned, revealing a few missing teeth on the sides of her mouth, and held the twig firmly in her tiny fist. The girl started walking down the length of the fence, letting the stick jangle the chain-link. She giggled and broke out into a jog toward the motionless boy at the end of the block. He allowed her to run up and down the length of the fence several more times, until she finally stopped in front of me again, our faces separated by dozens of metal loops.

"Stay here," she whispered. "I'll be right back."

I nodded and watched as she walked back to the boy. She began tugging on his arm, obviously wanting him to come down the sidewalk, and to my surprise he finally started following her. His features became distinguishable from his silhouette for the first time ever, and I wrapped my fingers around the links as the girl had done earlier in anticipation. He walked slowly, cautiously, never taking his eyes off the ground. He got just close enough for me to see the freckles across his nose and cheekbones when the school bell rang. I didn't stay.

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><p>I was lying on the asphalt, unable to move, crying my eyes raw. Consciousness had returned, but the pain in my head prevented me from moving. It felt like eternities were passing. A strange memory had entered my mind, a hazy flashback to my time in elementary school, and I was sure it had something to do with the guy. But nothing was clicking into place.<p>

The streetlights flickered on and shed some light on the suffocating darkness. The only thing I could see was a wall of graffiti. The letters were huge and colorful, but I couldn't read it. A sharp pain shot through my shoulder as I tried to move. I was too afraid to actually get up and look at the damage, so I decided I would just wait there until some hobo came and carried me off.

I traced the imprint of gravel on my palm. I knew that I knew what happened and why I was on the ground—and I knew it wasn't good—but keeping it pushed away helped me stay calm. And I did stay calm, until I heard footsteps behind me.

I let out a slow breath. A hand touched my shoulder, and I didn't realize that I had been trembling until I was steadied.

"Angela?"

I shook myself out of my stupor at the sound of such a gentle, familiar voice.

"Chase?" I asked. My throat had gone dry.

"No, it's Gill," he whispered. "Are you hurt?"

I turned my head toward him and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. It was soft and comforting, but more importantly, it was real. He was real.

I blinked until his face came into focus. It was spattered with bruises, but there was no blood that I could see. "I missed you."

He smiled and his teeth shone in the dim light. His thumb was on my face, wiping away the wet trails.

"I thought you left me." I released his shirt and tried to find his hand. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. And I didn't leave. You passed out," he said without elaborating, as if that was explanation enough for the amount of time I had been lying there in silence, waiting.

A pang shot through my body, and I gasped as the whirlwind of events crashed into my mind. "And Chase?"

He glanced over his shoulder. His face contorted into lines and hard edges. His blue eyes returned to mine, the tight line of his mouth not giving anything away.

"I don't know. I had to make sure you were all right first."

With Gill's help I got on my feet and stumbled toward a dark, crumpled heap of a person. My lungs shuddered. _Please be alright._ When I crouched down, my stomach lurched and my head spun. Chase's eyes were shut. His face was ashen. I couldn't find any injuries, but he was breathing so strangely I knew something was wrong.

Then I saw it. The crimson stain on his shirt. How could I have missed it?

"Oh my god," I breathed. "Chase."

His eyes opened. Blood seeped from under his fingers. I sat back on my heels and watched, helpless, as he used his free hand to sit up against the wall. Blood trickled from his lips.

"Looks bad, doesn't it?" he asked.

Gill knelt down next to me. He shook his head silently with a hand over his mouth.

A tremor passed through Chase's body and he gasped, digging his fingers into his stomach.

"You're okay," I said. I didn't know if that was true, but I had to say it. "You'll be okay. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried." The corner of his mouth curled into a hint of that familiar smirk, but it was gone as quickly as it had come, and I thought I had just imagined it. "You are."

My mind was blank. It took all my concentration not to pass out again. I had always read about heroes in books who knew what to do and sprang into action when trouble struck, but I was beginning to think it was all a lie. Either that or I was just the person who stood on the sidelines and had a panic attack while the real hero saved the day.

"Stop hyperventilating. You're making me nervous," Gill said.

Chase looked at him. "If I could breathe I would."

"I meant Angela."

"I'm sorry," I muttered. "Oh, god. I don't know what to do."

Gill thrust his sweater vest into my hands. "Hold onto that so you don't claw the skin off my arm."

I didn't even realize that I was digging my nails into his arm out of sheer anxiety. He began unbuttoning his shirt and all I could do was stare, mouth agape, and stammer out, "W-what are you doing?"

Gill didn't look at me. "To stop the bleeding."

He pulled his arm out of the sleeve and looked at it in his hands for a second, and I somehow knew he felt exposed and uneasy, but there was nothing else to do. I was as good as useless. My mind was stuck, just thinking from moment to moment about irrelevant facts: the way Chase's hands were shaking; the way Gill's eyes were trained on me, watching, piercing blue; the way my head continued to throb, only pounding harder with every passing second.

Chase dropped his hand from the gash on his side and I looked away, fighting back a wave of nausea.

"We have to get to a hospital," Gill said. "I'll find a phone." He stood and began walking down the street.

I turned back to Chase and picked up the fabric of Gill's shirt. Without overthinking what I was about to do, I ripped it into several long, clean strips. I had no idea what I was doing, but I bent toward him, about to start wrapping the fabric around his stomach, when I hesitated. He looked at me. Was he going to let me do this?

"Just hold still for a second," I whispered. His eyes never left mine and he continued to remain silent. I bit my lip, lurched forward with trembling hands, and clumsily tied the strip so that it put adequate pressure on his wound. As soon as I finished, I drew back, hotly aware of our closeness.

After a few agonizing seconds of more silence, I shifted my legs and turned back to him. "We're going to the hospital now, okay?"

He tilted his head up to glare at me. "I know. I heard you."

"Sorry, I'm just trying to help," I said. "Are you okay? I mean, do you think… are you…" I let out a breath. "That guy… he said there wouldn't be a next time, and I thought… he killed you. You're not going to die. Please don't."

Chase almost smiled. "He would have finished the job if he really wanted to kill me. He didn't have it in him, the wuss."

"Maybe you're just tough." I wanted to reach out to him, pretend I could heal his injuries with my touch, or just pretend for a second that it would be okay and nothing was wrong, but I couldn't. "It's because of me somehow. I know it. He said he wanted to make me suffer like how I made him suffer. I don't even know him, but he called me 'Angie.' He knew my name."

"_Are_ you suffering?" he asked so calmly that it sounded like he just asked me what my favorite color was.

"I can't stand to see this happening to you."

"Then he got what he wanted." He inhaled sharply. "Don't let him win. I'm fine. Worse has happened. But I'll admit it _is _a little unsettling to watch as your own blood makes a puddle on the ground."

I tried to smile at his sarcasm before I jumped up and ran around the corner of the block, glancing left and right for Gill. I spotted him bent over in the street looking at something. When I got closer, I realized that he wasn't looking at something. He was throwing up.

Gill. The one who never showed emotion, never showed weakness. Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected was vomiting in the street. Somehow this made it all too real. I was almost hysterical.

"Are you okay?" I called. He turned his head and wiped his face with the back of his arm.

"Sorry you saw that," he said. This rare apologetic moment only panicked me further. "I'm usually fine around blood. I don't know what happened. I've been feeling kind of sick all day."

"No, I get it. I'm—" Headlights turned onto our street and I didn't finish my sentence. "That's a taxi."

Gill crossed his arms over his bare chest. "Yeah?"

"What about an ambulance?"

His face fell. I realized that he had forgotten he could've called the emergency number. He held his hand up to the driver. I started running back around the block without waiting for a response that I knew I wasn't going to get anyway.

Chase was standing, but he was doubled over gasping with one hand on the wall. I had to force myself to stay calm. He couldn't breathe. Why couldn't he breathe?

He put his hand on my extended arm, and I couldn't help thinking that this was the first time he'd ever actually touched me. Chase pulled himself forward off the safety of the wall. I helped him stay upright until he shrugged off my aid after the first few steps.

Disappointment welled inside me, but I couldn't stop myself from allowing a small smile.

Stubborn and sarcastic. He was still the same.

"A cab, huh?" He shot Gill an annoyed expression. "Cheap."

Gill ignored him as we climbed into the back seat with me in the middle. "Go to the hospital on 8th Street," he directed.

The driver nodded and glanced at us several times in the rear view mirror. I suddenly felt like we were forgetting something, but the thought passed as quickly as it had come.

"Relax. I'm not getting blood on the seat," Chase said. "I'm being careful."

The taxi driver cursed, not because he was angry about the blood, but because he just noticed Chase was injured. The car jerked left as the driver twisted around to get a better look. "Is he okay?"

"He will be as long as you do your job and drive," Chase snapped.

Maybe he really was going to be okay. If someone thought they were going to die, wouldn't they start being nice and confessing everything they did wrong? Maybe he was trying to act normal on purpose because didn't want to worry us. And then again, maybe I was overthinking things.

"How deep is it?" Gill asked.

Chase groaned and rested his forehead against the seat in front of him. "Hell if I know."

He slid his fingers through his hair repeatedly, bunching up the tangles in his fist. I realized that was his nervous habit: constantly pulling at his strands of strawberry blonde and twisting the waves into knots. He mumbled something into his hand that I didn't quite catch.

I furrowed my brow. "What about hospitals?"

"Hate them." He closed his eyes, and after nearly a minute I felt panic course through my nerves. Pale. He was too pale. His breathing had become less ragged, and I wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I nudged his arm, hoping he hadn't passed out… or worse. When he didn't respond, I blurted out his name a little too loudly.

I turned to Gill. He shook his head.

"Hey, could you drive a little faster?" I leaned forward and tapped the taxi driver's shoulder. Turning back to Chase, I held my breath and smoothed the hair from his face with a shaking hand. "Chase, stop it. Wake up."

"Hmm?"

"Don't go to sleep."

"I wasn't," he mumbled, struggling to keep his eyes open. "Don't worry. I just need a few stitches. No big deal."

"Hey, you'll have plenty of time to sleep after you get fixed up," Gill said.

Chase leaned farther forward and pushed his arm closer to his stomach. His forehead rested in his palm. "How did you know where the hospital was?"

"What?" Gill asked.

"Don't make me repeat myself."

I hadn't given it any consideration, but now that Chase mentioned it, I was curious too.

Gill narrowed his eyes at the seat in front of him. "There was a phone book by the telephone in the booth. I just… found it."

That answer seemed to satisfy Chase, or he no longer cared to know, because he didn't say anything else.

I looked out the windshield and into the dark. Hills in the distance looked like spilled ink that bled across the sky and faded into swatches of mauve and navy. Iridescent sequins of light blanketed the landscape and outshone the few stars in the sky. It might have been beautiful if I wasn't sitting in the back of a taxi on my way to the emergency room, listening to Gill talk to keep Chase awake. He said it wasn't a big deal. So why couldn't I relax?

When we finally got to the hospital, my heart was pounding so hard in my head that I couldn't hear. I barely remembered getting out of the taxi, or Gill paying the driver, or even walking into the hospital.

Before Chase disappeared behind the white swinging doors, he turned and locked his eyes with mine. In that moment, he reminded me of a prisoner being led to a jail cell, flanked on either side by nurses, holding him in place. He wiped at the cut on his lip and disappeared before I had a chance to realize that I should have said something more to him. What if it was more serious than he let me believe? What if that was the last time I saw him?

As Gill pulled me to a chair, I felt numb. He had been looking at me strangely since he knelt over me in the alley and wiped the tears from my face. At once, as if he could sense that I noticed, the irritated, confused look dropped from his eyes and he smiled.

"Hey," he whispered. "It's okay."

I wanted to believe him, I really did. But something told me this was just the beginning.


	10. Honesty

That night in the hospital waiting room was beginning to be the longest night in my life. Every time I saw a doctor emerge from the white swinging doors, my heart started racing in my chest. I thought something terrible had happened and that's why it was taking so long. I tried to busy myself with counting how many times the nurses walked past and stole a glance at Gill. It was annoying me, but I'm not sure why.

I sighed, blowing strands of hair away from my face, and glanced at the clock on the wall again. It wasn't as late as I had thought.

As time continued to tick by, I saw several frantic people rush in: a woman clutching a pillow, being led by the hand; an elderly man, panting and wheezing. My anxiety escalated. It was too much. I tried to calm myself by closing my eyes and humming. After a while, the click of the nurses' heels on the floor was the only sound I heard. I kept envisioning the doctor walking out, shaking his head sadly.

I exhaled a shuddery breath and imagined myself returning to Castanet without Chase, explaining to everyone why he didn't come back with us. Then I started thinking about how I handled the situation back on the street. I shouldn't have freaked out. I shouldn't have just wallowed in grief, when I should have checked to see if Chase and Gill were okay. Each second that passed was another second that Chase bled, closer and closer to his death.

When I glanced down I saw Gill's open palm on the armrest between us. His mouth was pressed into a tight line, and his eyes were fixed on me. "Are you all right?"

I began to nod and then shook my head. "Not really."

He looked to his open palm then back at me and smiled a little. I finally got the hint and placed my hand in his. It was soft, warm, and he gave me a reassuring squeeze before letting go and leaving a rush of butterflies in my stomach.

It was a small gesture of comfort, and it made me realize that he was not at all the jerk I thought he was when we first met.

"You consider me a friend, right?" I asked in a tentative voice.

His eyes traveled across my face, making me feel self-conscious. "I suppose so. It would be hard not to, after all this."

I let a moment pass before continuing. "Does Chase?"

His gaze dropped to his hands. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it. After a second, he looked up at me and smiled that lopsided smile of his. "Did you actually see what happened on the street back there?"

I was surprised that he just ignored my question. "Yeah," I lied. "Of course."

"No." Gill shook his head. His voice got quiet and I had to lean in to hear the rest of his words. "He pushed you out of the way."

All the blood rushed to my head, and I thought I was going to faint. "What? What do you mean?"

Gill started talking painstakingly slow, like I was a little kid. "That guy, he was running toward you with a knife. Chase saw it and pushed you at the last second. He got in the way himself. That guy was a lunatic."

Tingles prickled at my arms, and the rising panic of realization crept up my chest and into my throat. "He saved my life. And you…" I looked at him, searching his face, letting my eyes settle on each bruise, moving to the contour of his nose, his lips, and the ever-changing color of his eyes: blue and open as the sky one minute, dark and full of unexplored depths like the ocean the next. "You were trying to keep me from seeing him get hurt."

It wasn't a question. I knew, somewhere inside those eyes, past those layers and waves of blue, there was a warmth and complexity about him. And further still, his heart was a maze, all dark corners, dead ends, and flickers of light in the darkness. Some things to him were worth caring about and others weren't. I just had to figure out where I fit in.

Gill turned his head away and absently rubbed his jaw. "Do you… _like_ Chase? You seem to care about him a lot."

That question took me by surprise and I wasn't sure how to react. "I- I don't know. I would care the same for you. Or anyone, really. Would it be bad if I did like him?"

He laughed, although he didn't sound amused. "I figured you'd say that. No, I suppose it isn't bad."

"Are you upset?"

"Why would I be upset?"

"I don't know. I thought maybe you didn't want me to like him."

"This isn't middle school." He shook his head. "Besides, you don't need my approval."

"Oh." I watched one of the nurses walk across the floor, pushing a girl in a wheelchair. "I just don't want to think about romance. It really changes things, you know? What if it doesn't work out? Then our friendship would be ruined, and I don't want to risk that with anyone right now. I only want my friends to be happy, and if that means happiness with a girl other than me, then so be it."

I expected Gill to roll his eyes, since it was a pretty cheesy thing to say. Instead he looked at me sadly. The guarded walls he always kept around him were beginning to come down. "I hope you realize that you might get hurt if you keep thinking like that."

"Is that the kind of trouble you were talking about?"

"Huh?"

"Well back on the boat you said I was frustrating and innocent, and then you told me to be careful. I assumed you thought I was naïve and dumb, but now I realize you said that because you're worried I'm going to get hurt. Right?"

He smiled, and I felt like I was finally getting on the same intellectual page as him. "Yes. I'm not worried, you just… remind me of someone."

"I'll be okay," I said, smiling. "You don't have to be worried."

"Sure." Gill went back to reading a medical brochure. "The only thing I'm worried about is you becoming as sarcastic and obnoxious as Chase if you keep hanging around him."

I laughed. "Then you have every right to be worried."

* * *

><p>Just when I thought I couldn't take the suspense of waiting any longer, a nurse with short blonde hair appeared, holding a clipboard and looking right at me. I stood up instinctively and felt my breathing start to quicken. My heart was pounding, and I couldn't read her expressionless face for any clues.<p>

"Hello. How are you doing?" she asked. Her gaze lingered a bit too long on Gill and I felt a surge of irritation. I had been waiting hours to finally hear the news, and she decided to prolong my agony by fantasizing about something that could never happen. Okay, maybe I was overreacting. I would have done the same if I was her, but now was definitely not the time for that.

Gill said "fine" and answered for us both.

She nodded and glanced back down at her clipboard as if she was double-checking something. I bit the inside of my lip a little too hard and tasted blood.

"Is Chase okay?" I asked, feeling lightheaded. "Can we see him?"

She lifted her eyes off the clipboard for a moment to look at me. As she nodded, her short blonde bob bounced a little. Did that mean _yes, he was fine _or _yes, we could see him_? We began walking down a maze of hallways and elevators and everything started spinning. I kept telling myself to just put one foot in front of the other, breathe in, and breathe out.

We came upon room 416, and as the nurse turned the doorknob, I closed my eyes. I felt like I had been waiting my whole life for this moment and here it finally was. My feet seemed to float across the linoleum floor. We entered the room, and I froze when I heard Gill suck in a breath.

"Why did you do that? Is there blood?" I kept my eyes shut tight.

"Just see for yourself."

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

_Dead._

That was the first thought I had. _Chase was dead._ But no, that was wrong. He was breathing, the only indication of life. His face was pale, white as the sheets; there was a split of red, so dark it was almost black, on his bottom lip. He was stripped to the waist with huge bandages and gauze wrapped around his stomach. I stood in shock.

"He's okay?" I breathed, not quite believing that what I saw was real, that the steady rise and fall of his chest was there, and that he wasn't dead.

The nurse looked at me and nodded. "Yeah, probably just sore. He should be waking up soon when the medicine wears off."

My eyes fell to the floor. _Just sore? _

"My shift ends in five minutes, so there will be another nurse coming in, okay?" She turned and left the room.

I don't know how long I had been standing there. Gill eventually sat down in a chair to wait for me, but I couldn't stop staring at Chase's injuries, feeling guilt gnaw away at my mind.

"I'm sorry, visiting hours for nonfamily members are over."

I turned at the sound of a familiar voice. "Elli?"

She looked surprised and then smiled. "Angela! I hardly recognized you. What are you doing here? You look…" She stopped herself, but I knew what she was going to say. _You look terrible._

"This my friend, Chase."

Elli walked over to him and looked at his face. For a few seconds, all I could hear were the beeping machines and the oxygen tank whirring.

I continued, "He doesn't have family that I know of. We were supposed to go to my parents' house, but we missed the bus earlier and ran into some trouble. There was this guy and his friends, and they... attacked us."

She covered her mouth with her hand in surprise. "Where was that?"

"Oak Street… where the apartments are."

Her eyes widened. "And you came all the way here? Oh, Angela, there's a hospital two blocks from the Oak Street Apartments."

"Two blocks?" My thoughts crashed into each other all at once. I whirled around to look at Gill, but his chair was facing the opposite direction and I could only see part of his arm on the armrest.

Elli followed my line of sight and stared at the back of the chair for a few seconds. Then her eyes shifted back to me. "I have to make my rounds now, but I'll let you stay here until my shift ends. Why don't you sit down? It might be a while."

"Can I move the chair over here?" I asked, sliding the extra chair closer to Chase.

She smiled, nodded, and then left the room. Once the door clicked shut, Gill stood up, his face paler than ever and his eyes wide like he just saw something horrifying. "I made a mistake," he said.

"Why? Because we drove all the way across town to come to this hospital instead of one that was two blocks away?"

He just shook his head.

"Gill." I moved in front of him so he would look at me. "What is it?"

He exhaled slowly and glanced at Chase before looking back at me. "Angela, I wasn't completely honest with you."

"You lied?" I drew in closer. "About what?"

His gaze traveled back to the floor. He closed his eyes momentarily and opened them. "Well, I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you something. It's about Kasey and that girl. The nurse."

"You mean Elli? What about them?"

"Remember when I told you that I came to the city when I was sixteen?" He waited for me to nod. "While I was here doing research about the island's problems, I met Kasey. He had just gotten married to that girl, Elli, and to make a long story short, I ended up explaining to him all about the island. He said he wanted to help and he was looking for a new adventure. I doubted he could do a thing about the problems that Castanet was facing—"

"Can I have the abridged version please?"

Gill sighed. "Kasey left her to come to the island. He used it as an excuse to dump her. And now, naturally, she blames me for making him leave. Elli pretty much despises me, although she's too nice to actually show it, it's just rather awkward and I don't want to have to talk to her. You understand, don't you?"

At first I didn't understand. The more I thought about it, though, the more sense it made. Elli's failed relationship was actually with Kasey. He left her. And he must have found a different girl when he came back to the city to take care of his elderly grandparents. I nodded. "One more thing, though. Why did you tell the driver to come to this hospital instead of the one that was two blocks away? How did you know it was here?"

He moved toward the door, throwing a glare back in my direction. "It was a mistake, okay? People _do_ make those."

I tried to ignore his tone. "Where are you going?"

"Back to the hotel," he stated without turning around.

"No!"

He stopped.

"Please… I want you to stay here with us. With me."

Gill looked over his shoulder at me. "I'm leaving."

"Wait!"

He spun around angrily. "What now, Angela?"

"I- I'm sorry," I said. "I'm just scared."

The jagged icy edges of his blue eyes were melting, and I saw emotion in them for the first time: waves of curiosity and fear crashing into each other. "You're not going to cry, are you?"

"Not if you stay." I tried to smile as I stepped toward him. "I can't leave Chase here alone. It's scary being in the hospital. I want to talk to him. Can't you wait a little longer?"

He looked at me for a long time before sighing and making his way across the room to sit down. I took my own seat on the chair next to the bed. The stress of the night came crashing down all at once and I felt my energy drain, seeming to flow from out of my fingertips. Leaning forward and resting my head on the edge of the bed, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to dissolve.

* * *

><p><em>AN: I love you guys so much! Thank you! I honestly couldn't do this without my super nice readers and reviewers. :')_


	11. Freckles

When I woke up, I saw nothing but black, thick and suffocating, like tar. There were faint rustling noises that had disturbed my moment of peacefulness and solitude. I blinked and tried to focus my vision. A small glowing light from the hallway found its way under the crack of the door and reminded me that I was in a hospital room. The throbbing in my head had settled into a dull ache, and my shoulder was stiff and bruised. I sat up slowly, pushing off the sheets that had gotten bunched up and tangled around my arms. As the room came into focus, I saw there was a glow from the city coming in through the window and casting dynamic splashes of light and shadows over the bed.

Deep, rhythmic breathing enveloped the room in a heavy pulse, like it was alive and sleeping itself. The atmosphere was uncomfortably hot and stuffy. I pushed the hair from my face and tried to settle back into my chair, but the rustling noises were growing louder and more intense. I realized that it was Chase. He was shifting around and coughing, but I couldn't tell if he was awake or not.

I reached out impulsively, trying to find his arm in the mess of twisted sheets. "Chase? Are you okay?"

He bolted upright, breathless and wide-eyed.

"Are you all right? What is it?"

"The hospital," he blurted.

"We're at the hospital. What's wrong? Should I get the nurse?"

He just blinked at me. His eyes were almost glowing, deep violet, like an intricate web of lights, flickers, and flowing electricity. He looked terrified. Finally he spoke again and, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, said, "I hate hospitals."

"Me too," I whispered. "I'm sorry you're here."

Chase shook his head. "It was just a nightmare. It happened a long time ago." It seemed like he was going to say more, but he sighed and tugged his fingers through his hair instead. A long time passed as he caught his breath.

"You can tell me," I offered, trying to sound nonchalant, as I ran my hand along the edge of the bed. My neck was tingling with heat and anticipation.

He stayed silent. The seconds seemed to drag on, each passing moment smothering me with its void darkness. I settled back against the chair and watched him, his electric eyes, pulsing with static and a passion I hadn't seen before.

"Have you ever wanted something?" he asked after a moment. His voice was thoughtful, light, and strangely calm. I leaned in but he wouldn't look at me. His eyes were on the far wall, like he was looking at something that wasn't actually there.

I nodded. He gave a half-smile, and it seemed like he was talking to himself. "Have you ever wanted something so much that it becomes the only thing you think about? To where it practically consumes your mind?"

I thought about Roscoe, and going to bed every night without his warm body lying across my feet, waking up every morning to my alarm clock instead of wet kisses, talking to myself in the kitchen, and bending down to pick up food scraps that wouldn't have been a problem with Roscoe around. I had a feeling Chase was talking about something different. Something deeper.

He hung his head so his hair fringed over his eyes. "So the good news is," he said, "I've finally figured it out."

"You've figured out how to get what you want? You're not excited about it."

His eyes flickered to me. They were dull, as if the electricity had suddenly gone out and left nothing but the empty dark bulb. "Yeah, I've figured it out," Chase repeated. "The only problem is that it's ten years too late."

I stared at my hands and hesitantly whispered, "What is it that you want?"

When I dared to look at him again, he was shaking his head. He looked over toward the window and sighed. "I don't know anymore."

The stillness of the moment was fragile, like glass, and I tried to continue the conversation without shattering it. One wrong word and broken glass would be sent flying.

"Chase?" I asked. It was hot again in the room. I was tempted to open the window, but I didn't want to make any extra noise. "You were coughing earlier. Are you having trouble breathing?"

He looked at me and narrowed his eyes. "I was?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"No reason. I was just— I was having this dream." I knew he didn't want to tell me. After a moment he swallowed hard, like he was trying to physically swallow his pride, and said, "There was a fire. And smoke. It was so thick that I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was suffocating."

He stopped, but I nodded for him to continue. Listening to him talk like this, honest and real, made me feel like the glass was cracking. The mystery was beginning to shed, the fragility of the moment was punctured, and the unfamiliar truth was spilling out through the cracks. It gave me a strange fluttery feeling.

Chase lifted a bandaged hand and placed it over his side. "The flames were burning me. Right there. And I was trying to get out… but I couldn't move. I kept hearing people yelling at me to do something, but I couldn't figure out what they were saying. So I was just standing there… and the flames were—"

"Stop!" The fragile moment was shattered; I couldn't take it anymore. I stood hastily and bumped into my chair. Chase was watching me with a wary expression, his lips still barely parted to finish his last sentence. "Sorry, Chase. I'm sorry. I can't listen to it… not like this. You shouldn't be here. I should have never asked you to come with me."

The ruckus I made woke Gill. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Is everything okay?"

No words would come out. I shook my head dumbly.

Chase grabbed my arm, freezing me in place. I looked down in surprise and fought back a sensation of vertigo at our contact. "Angela," he said, his voice as still as ice. "It's not your fault."

Suddenly the room was swallowing me whole, and the walls were pressing the air out of my lungs. I could feel the shards of glass digging into my skin, piercing my flesh and cutting me open to bleed. I jerked my arm away from Chase and rushed to the window. It was too hot. I had to get some air.

My hands were shaking too much and it wouldn't open. My face became wet, my head was pounding, and I realized I was crying. I dropped to the floor on my knees and covered my face with my hands. The tears wouldn't stop. There was a rush of cool air and I looked up to see Gill standing over me, unlocking the window and opening it. I felt stupid. It was just locked.

The bed creaked behind me, and I imagined Chase sitting there, rolling his eyes and sighing, like how he did with Maya. "Angela, what's the matter?" His voice was raw and scratchy now that he wasn't whispering.

"What's the matter?" I twisted around, suddenly furious, and wiped my tears on my sleeve. "What do you think? You are! Why'd you do that, Chase? How could you be so careless?" My voice wavered. "You were almost killed. And it _is _my fault!"

The room went silent. Chase blinked at me, studying my face, and stayed quiet for a long time. My breaths were shuddery and slow. I closed my eyes and imagined hundreds of glittering shards of glass scattered across the floor, like crystal ballerinas poised under the moonlight, as still as the silence.

"I wasn't being careless," he said. When I opened my eyes, I saw his slight, teasing smile. "I was keeping my promise."

"What?" I shook my head. "No, you broke your promise. You got _stabbed_, Chase. Nothing bad was supposed to happen."

"Angela." He pulled his fingers through his hair and chuckled, staring down at me with those electrifying purple eyes. "Nothing bad was supposed to happen _to you_. Isn't that what an escort is for? Or did I sign up for the wrong job?"

Those words felt like a slap in the face. I was wrong. He actually _wanted _to get in the way and protect me. He knew what he was doing when he pushed me. I stayed on the floor, speechless, floundering in my thoughts. The whole time, I thought it had been my fault since the man was coming after me, but I realized Chase made that decision all on his own. "You take promises seriously then, don't you?"

Chase gave me a curious look. "Well, I guess. It's not a big deal. Just chill out, okay? You don't look very attractive when you cry."

I had shattered the stillness, the glass, and he was coming behind me and picking up the pieces. Of course, broken glass can't be picked up without leaving a few cuts. I probably deserved what he just said; he was trying to lighten the mood the only way he knew how.

"It's a wonder why you're still single," Gill remarked, obviously relieved that the tension was beginning to dissipate. He went to check his watch but discovered it wasn't on his wrist anymore. He rubbed it awkwardly. "I should go back to the hotel now. Luke probably did something stupid. Coming Angela?"

I nodded, standing back up and wiping the remaining tears off my face. It was all too crazy. Chase saved me. It was more than that, though. He actually _wanted _to save me. A hysterical giggle bubbled up inside me, and I clasped my hand over my mouth, causing the laugh to hitch in my throat.

Gill didn't seem to notice. He pressed his mouth into a tight line. "And Chase?"

Chase leaned back against the pillows. His hand was pressed against the bandage; his fingers contracted in pain. "What?"

"Try not to do anything irrational. You can't afford an extended hospital visit," Gill said.

Chase rolled his eyes. "Nice to see you're alive, too."

"By the way, you owe me a new shirt."

"It was ugly anyway. So you're welcome."

Gill shook his head and turned to leave.

"Hey, wait," Chase said. He pointed to the corner of the room where his shoes and other items were stacked. He quirked his brow and smiled. "I got you a little something."

Gill walked over to the pile and bent down. "What is this? You want me to have your underwear? Thanks, but I'll pass."

"Ha ha very funny. I happen to be wearing my underwear, so you're out of luck. Keep looking. You'll know what it is when you see it."

He continued searching through the pile. A few moments later, he stood up, holding something shiny and silver in his hand.

Chase smiled and settled back against the pillows. "I'm the best. Don't deny it."

"Well, this explains why you look mauled."

He waved his hand in Gill's general direction. "Don't drown me in praise all at once now. Save some for later, like when I need to borrow fifty bucks or something."

I rocked forward on my heels, trying to get a better look. "What is it?"

Gill held up his watch; the same watch that he had reluctantly handed over to the guy back on the street. "Chase apparently decided he needed a new makeover, so he starting throwing punches at a guy twice his size and—dare I say—twice as crazy. He lost, obviously, and this was his consolation prize." He was smiling as he turned to Chase. "By the way, all that purple on your face isn't a good look for you. Ask Julius for help before you experiment with makeovers next time."

"Really, now? I think it brings out my eyes." Chase leaned farther back and rested his hands on his stomach. "I'm pretty sure you won't die if you thank me, you know. Give it try. I know it's hard, but I think you can do it."

Gill slipped his watch into his pocket and gave a half-smile. "I do appreciate it, Chase. My mother gave me that watch before she passed. I still think you're an idiot, though."

"Sure, sure." Chase closed his eyes. "You're dismissed now."

Gill scoffed lightly before pulling open the door. The room was instantly drenched in unnatural light from the hallway, and I could barely see as I made my way toward the door. I caught my shoulder on the doorframe and bit back a yelp of pain. It clicked shut and I stopped, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the blanched walls and white, reflecting lights.

A wild impulsive feeling overtook my body suddenly, crashing over me like a wave. I whirled around, pushed open the door, and walked toward the bed. Chase opened his eyes and looked at me. The slight smile on his face told me that he was expecting me to come back in.

Standing over him, I wasn't sure what I wanted to say, so I just stuttered out a random collection of words: "I was wondering… Oh, this is stupid. Can I…? Um. I just ruined it. Never mind."

"Can you what?"

"…give you a hug?" I stepped back, prepared for the worst. Giving him a hug was the only way I could think to show my appreciation, but it was a stupid thing to ask. I should have just done it. No one asks someone else if they can hug them.

His eyes narrowed at me. "What? You want to hug me?"

I nodded. Chase didn't say anything. He just looked at me with his eyebrow slightly raised and his mouth tugged into a smirk. After a while, he glanced around the room and then back at me. "Well?"

"Oh." I leaned forward, being the complete awkward dork that I was, and held my breath as my arms stayed rooted to my sides; I couldn't move them. We were close. Close enough that I could see his eyes, dark purple; his eyebrow, raised in a small challenge; and his mouth, turned slightly upward at the corners. He pushed himself forward, causing a splash of light to catch his face, and the exhilarating sensation of freezing water rushed through my veins.

Freckles.

He had freckles.

Then suddenly I was back on Maple Street, barely ten years old, laughing and eating ice cream with my friend Erin, while the melting chocolate dripped down the side of the cone and made my fingers sticky. The hot sun beat down on the back of my neck, and my flip-flops slapped against the pavement in a steady rhythm. Erin's older brother and his two friends walked ahead of us. We were all smiling. The summer had just begun.

And then we turned the corner and I saw the boy. He was holding a bag from the grocery store, swinging it idly back and forth, and standing near the bus stop. His face was bored, emotionless, and he didn't even look over when we approached him. Erin's brother and his friends were snickering. As he passed the boy, he slammed into him and jammed his elbow into his back. A laugh fizzled out in my throat and I stopped walking. The grocery bag fell to the ground, its contents tumbling out and splatting on the sidewalk. A can of Pepsi rolled toward my feet. Beside me, Erin gasped.

Her brother roared with laughter and received a clap on the back from one of his friends. He turned around as he kept walking, stumbling backwards and shouting, "Watch where you're going next time!"

I still hadn't moved. My glasses were sliding down my face and making my vision go blurry. They were new and didn't quite fit, so I was constantly pushing them up on my nose. I started walking past the boy who was now on the ground, kneeling on his hands and knees, gathering up his broken groceries. He looked at me as I passed. His eyes changed; he recognized me. I hadn't seen him since the day the girl tugged on his arm all the way down the sidewalk, and I had left when the bell rang.

The boy made no move to retaliate, or even acknowledge that Erin's brother had just shoved him. Instead, his dark, peculiar eyes stared up at me, his eyebrow slightly rose, and his mouth tugged into a tiny smile.

My blood felt like it was replaced with ice as I looked at Chase now. He was wearing the same expression as the boy. But there was no way this hot-tempered, sarcastic man could be the same boy that smiled at me after getting shoved to the ground. No way. I shook my head. _No possible way._

"So am I supposed to meet you halfway or something? Is this how you city people do it?" he joked.

I drew back, pressing my arms to my sides. My throat was constricting shut. "Do you… do you have freckles?" It was just a coincidence. I just imagined it. _Anything but the truth. Please._

"Huh?" He reached up a hand to his face, as if he had to check by feeling them under his fingertips. "I used to. They've faded a lot since I don't go out in the sun very often, but yeah, I guess I have freckles. Are you afraid of them? It's not a disease, you know."

"I know," I squeaked. "I just hadn't noticed them before."

There was a prolonged silence that followed. The ice in my veins was melting and leaving a hot, tingly rush in my chest. Chase cleared his throat.

"You're an awkward person, you know that?" He narrowed his eyes at me, like he was trying to figure out a jig-saw puzzle. "Do you have anything else to say? Any more requests for physical contact? I'm going to deny those from now on unless you can figure out how to properly initiate a hug."

I forgot how to speak, so I just shook my head.

"Okay," he drawled. "Hey, did you happen to leave your medications on Castanet?"

My brain didn't process his words. I just shook my head automatically, too confused to remember if he was being sarcastic or not.

"Are you sure? Have you ever considered it? I think it helps with your kind of issues."

I spun around, not even hearing him, and put my hand on the doorknob.

Before I had a chance to open the door, Chase's voice grabbed me and turned my body rigid. "I'm leaving tomorrow, Angela."

"Home?"

He laughed. "No, I mean that I hate hospitals and I don't care if I have to jump out of a two-story window to get out of here. Tomorrow I'm leaving." He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. "The whole point of coming to the city was to get your dog back, right? Well, he better appreciate this."

I laughed as the tension broke up inside me. "_I_ appreciate this. I know he will too."

* * *

><p>It was two o'clock in the morning, and I felt dead. Gill and I had walked up three flights of stairs in the hotel to get to our rooms, since the elevator was out of service. By the time we reached the top, my limbs were as heavy and immobile as lead, my vision was swirling, and the throbbing in my shoulder had returned. I was entertaining a fantasy of collapsing onto a fluffy bed, pulling the soft sheets around my face, and falling asleep. My fantasy was crushed when Gill continued to stand there, empty-handed.<p>

"I don't have the room keys," he said, sighing and shaking his head. "I think Luke does."

I resorted to knocking and pounding on the door. "Luke! Are you in there? Please open the door."

Nothing.

"Luke!" I called again. "Seriously, I'm going to die out here. Please let us in!"

Gill leaned against the wall and brought a hand up to his forehead, touching a bruise under his fingertips. "I'll go back down to the desk and get another key."

Despite what he just said, he stayed leaning against the wall.

I sighed. "I'll do it."

I waited for him to say something like, "No, it's okay. We'll go together," but it was as if he didn't even hear me.

"Hey," I said. He didn't respond. "_Hey_. Look at me."

I stepped toward him and put my hand on his shoulder, pressing him against the wall. He stiffened under my touch. "You're hurt, aren't you?"

He glanced up. "What? No, I just—"

"Your eyes..." I dropped my hand from his shoulder. "I think you have a concussion. Why didn't you say anything?"

An indignant expression crossed his face. "Since when are you a doctor?"

"I'm not, but it explains why you got sick after the fight and why you almost tripped on the stairs. Twice. Do you remember what happened?"

He dropped his shoulders and looked away.

"That guy hurt you."

Gill frowned. "There was more than one guy, Angela. They hurt all of us."

"Did _they _get hurt?"

He didn't answer, and his eyes wandered to a spot past my head. I turned around. There, coming down the hallway, was Luke.

His eyes brightened and he jogged to close the gap between us. His face lifted the heaviness in my chest, and it felt like an airy breeze was winding around my legs and propelling me forward to meet him. He wrapped his arms around my body and pulled me close. I smiled into his shoulder.

"Angela," he breathed as he pulled back to look at me. "Are you all right?"

It was all so crazy and absurd, I just laughed. "Yes. I'm okay. Where have you been?"

The smile faded from his face.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Let's go inside," he said, pulling a room key out of his pocket. He unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Gill sighed and followed us before settling down on one of the beds. Luke asked where his shirt was and got a mumbled response.

"Where's my room key?" I asked. "Gill said you had them both."

"He did?" Luke smiled again. "There's only one room. Did you want to go back down to the front desk and get a separate one?"

Just the thought of climbing down three flights of stairs and back up again made my head pound. "No, I'll manage. Will you tell me what's wrong now?"

He nodded and glanced over his shoulder at Gill, who was sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling on a shirt from his bag. Luke led me across the room to a sliding glass door, which opened up to a balcony and a breathtaking view. City buildings and traffic lights lit up the black sky and traveled like an electric current through the streets. The roaring symphony of cars sounded a little like the ocean, and I closed my eyes, trying to imagine myself standing on the sandy shores of Castanet.

Luke cleared his throat as he sat down across from me. I opened my eyes.

"You missed all the action," I joked. "We got attacked by a street lunatic and his friends."

He looked at me with his curious golden eyes and asked, "Is that what you think?" I didn't miss the hurt in his tone.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know what was happening."

"No. I'm sorry." Luke shook his head. "When you didn't come back, I went out looking for you guys. I'm glad you're safe now."

"Thanks." I smiled but he didn't look happy. "What's wrong?"

He stared out at all the sparkling flashes of neon below us. After a moment he looked back at me and smiled. "Nothing. As long as you're okay, then everything is okay, right? Where's Chase?"

"At the hospital. He was stabbed right here." I placed my hand over my side. "I was so scared, but he's okay."

"How bad was it?"

"I really thought he might die. I thought… I couldn't let him fall asleep because I didn't know if he would wake up again. He couldn't breathe. He just kept bleeding."

Luke stood. "It's late. You should go to bed."

"What about yourself?"

"I think I'll stay out here for a while. It's pretty cool, don't you think? There aren't any stars, but it's so bright. All the lights are nice to look at."

I smiled. "Yeah, it's pretty."

Then I slid the door shut, glancing backward once.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Thank you so so much for reading!_


	12. House of Fire

_I was so young. I was so stupid._

It was the last day of summer, the air was sticky and warm, and the mosquitoes were biting at my arms. Erin and I wanted to do something to celebrate, so we had a party. A stupid party.

Erin's brother, Jason, and his friend, Cody, dug out some fireworks and sparklers from their garages. We were too young for alcohol, so we got the next best thing: Red Bull. Any one of our parents would have killed us if they knew what we were doing. We decided our party would have to be held somewhere out of the way. There was an old house that I knew of, with a huge lawn extending into a forest. No one lived there for as long as I had been alive. It was the perfect location, hidden behind a wall of trees and near the outskirts of the city, so I suggested it.

We rode our bikes. By the time we arrived, we had already downed half a can of Red Bull each, and it was just beginning to get dark outside.

After we lit off some firecrackers, I sat with Jason under the stars and tried to make the most of our final summer night. He finished off his first can and looked at me with his wild, green eyes. They were like emeralds, almost as bright as the sparklers.

"You know who lives here, don't you?" he asked.

"Nobody. If someone lived here, the mailbox wouldn't be broken in half. Plus it smells weird, sort of like gasoline or something. I think if someone lived here, they would probably fix that."

He shook his head. "Then explain to me why I always see that kid hanging around here. You know which one I'm talking about."

I nodded slowly but rolled my eyes. "I hang around here all the time, Jason. Does that mean _I _live here?"

He ignored me. "I bet you didn't know that he's basically illegal. He should be in that orphanage. That's why he dropped out of school. Didn't want to get caught, I guess." Jason brushed his dark hair out of his eyes and leaned back. "Do y'know what that jerk did?" He didn't wait for my response. "The teacher made him tutor me in math one year. Failed the class. Heck, I practically failed the grade! It was his fault. He didn't even try to help me out."

"Is that why you're always pushing him around?" I wanted to ask what the mysterious boy's name was, but I didn't think Jason would tell me. He avoided saying his name like it was a disease. I only knew him as "that kid" or "that stupid loser."

He laughed. "Yeah. Fun to watch him squirm, isn't it?"

I smiled. No, it wasn't particularly fun, but I wasn't about to let Jason know what I thought. Whenever he got that crazy glint in his eyes, I knew better than to contradict him.

Erin suddenly came running over to us. Her clothes were dripping with water and her hair was soaked through and through. Cody was right behind her. He had slipped into the creek, and when Erin tried to help him, he pulled her in.

Erin held up a sparkler. "Guys, let's do this one. It's so pretty!"

Jason took it from her. "It'll look better under the shadows. Come 'ere."

We moved into the shadow of the big house and stood back as Jason lit the sparkler. Little hot lights showered the ground and glittered like a crystal chandelier. We watched until the glow faded to nothing. Then we just sat down in the grass, under the tree, and looked up at the stars that were just beginning to flicker in the sky.

Erin tossed her long, raven hair over her shoulder and smiled that bright dazzling smile of hers. "This is great. The last day of summer. You know what would make this perfect? Fireflies."

Cody scoffed. "There aren't any fireflies in the city."

"You're such a kill-joy."

We all took another drink and stared at each other. It really was the last day of summer. None of us wanted to believe it. But now that the words were actually said aloud, we were reluctant to enjoy it, for fear it would end too quickly.

Erin sniffed. "Do you guys smell something? Like, burning?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "Erin, we just lit off a dozen fireworks. Duh."

"No, I smell it too," I said.

Cody's light brown eyes wandered across the landscape behind us. They suddenly widened, and he swore under his breath. He scrambled up and pointed across the lawn to the flickering slivers of orange. "Fire!"

"Yeah, sure." Erin laughed until she saw that he wasn't joking. She stood and grabbed my arm. "Oh gosh, let's get out of here."

I recoiled from her touch. "Are you crazy? We can't leave! We have to do something."

The flames were moving fast, writhing and devouring the dry grass like a living thing. I watched as they began to graze the side of the house.

Erin dropped her energy drink in the dirt and backed away. "Angela, don't be stupid. We could get in big trouble for this."

"Then put it out! _Do _something!" I shouted.

Cody was already heading off toward the bicycles with Erin right behind him.

"Wait!" I felt frantic. There had to be something I could do. Something that would stop the blaze from growing and ravaging. But it only continued to consume everything its hot, snaking tendrils could seize.

Erin and Cody were on their bikes, pedaling down the path, back to the road. To safety. To stay innocent.

Jason stood watching the flames, which were now crawling up the side of the house. Heat and smoke were stinging my eyes. I had to shield my face with my hand and back away. Jason turned and started jogging toward his bike. He was strangely calm. "Come on, Angela. Do you really want to get in trouble for this? No one lives here anyway, so it doesn't matter. Right?"

I was silent.

"_Right_?" he repeated. "Isn't that what you told me when you said we should light the fireworks off here?"

He smiled slightly, and I realized it was a threat. _Keep silent about what happened or else_.

"The gasoline…" I said slowly. "When did you do it?"

Jason let the grin take over his whole face. "Earlier today. Before we came here."

"You were planning on coming to this house all along then."

"Yeah," he said. "But I specifically remember the suggestion coming from _you_. As far as anyone is concerned, this whole thing was just an unfortunate accident."

I knew it wasn't just an unfortunate accident. If I told what happened - that he used our celebration as an excuse to set a house on fire for revenge - he would turn it around and say that it was my idea. I was the one who suggested the house, after all. My parents would be disappointed – beyond disappointed. They would be devastated that I had a part in something so stupid.

I nodded slowly. The fire was growling, an animal noise, soft but menacing. It was annihilating the siding on the house, eating it into nothing. I was scared. Scared of what would happen if I didn't call for help, and terrified of what would happen if I did.

There was a sound from the inside, beyond the wall of fire: a faint scream.

"Right," I said finally. My voice was not my own. "We were never here."

* * *

><p>The next morning, we arrived at the hospital a little late. Everything looked different in the light. I discovered that the building was actually a radiant shade of white, not gray. There was an array of gold and crimson tulips planted near the entrance. I hadn't noticed them the night before. They were bright and almost welcoming. The events of yesterday seemed like they happened months ago, and I hardly remembered why I had been so upset.<p>

There was one thing, however, that was nagging at my mind. Ever since the man attacked us, I kept having flashbacks to my childhood. It was because of that guy, or Chase and his freckles, or both. Or maybe my brain was connecting and remembering things that really had no connection or memory before. It was frustrating.

When Luke, Gill, and I walked through the revolving door of the hospital, which, thankfully, none of us got stuck in, I saw Chase standing near the front desk. Luke went ahead of us and clapped him on the back.

"Hey man!" Luke flashed a smile. "Feelin' okay?"

Chase pushed him away and gave him a look. "What do you think, Luke?"

"Dude, you look…" He closed his mouth then opened it again. "You look like… like… really… _bad_. Sort of like Bo when he was standing under that tree I was cutting down… only worse… or like, you got attacked by a-"

"Don't hurt yourself. Please." Chase glanced over at me and frowned. "Why isn't he on a leash?"

I laughed, but I didn't fail to notice that Luke was right. Chase didn't look like he should be standing there, much less walking around and functioning like a normal person. The entire right side of his face was darkly colored in various shades of blue and purple. His cheek was slightly swollen, and there were reddish circles under his eyes. He was leaning heavily against the counter.

"So I've got good news," I began. He didn't say anything, so I just continued. "I got a rental car and I'm going to drive us to my parents' house. This is going to be so much fun. A road trip! Have you guys ever taken a road trip before? We gotta buy some beef jerky and Doritos and Coca-Cola and Cheetos."

Gill narrowed his eyes at me. "Are we still speaking English?"

Chase nodded slowly and looked over at me. "Coke fan, eh? I prefer Pepsi. Figures."

I smiled wide, unable to contain my excitement. "Pepsi it is then."

"Doritos? Those sound cool. Let's get some." Luke matched my smile.

"Absolutely! I'm gonna show you guys what a real road trip is like. So who wants to ride shotgun?"

"I do!" Luke exclaimed.

Chase shook his head. He pushed away from the counter and crossed his arms. "I bet you ten bucks you don't even know what shotgun is."

Gill looked irritated. "Can we keep things in English here? I know I've been to the city and all, but I didn't have time to verse myself in city jargon and idiotic slang."

"Sorry." I smiled again. "Yes Luke, you can ride in the passenger seat. That means Chasey and Gill have to sit in the back, so you two better get along."

"Did you just call me Chasey?" Chase raised his eyebrow at me.

"Maybe." I started walking toward the door. "Come on."

* * *

><p>An hour later, we were ready to take off, with junky snacks piled on the middle seat in the back, classic rock in the CD player, and the air conditioner on full blast. The trip was going to take nearly two hours and I was beyond excited. Luke grinned at me from the passenger seat as I started the engine.<p>

"Okay. Driver's license? Check. Seatbelts on?" I waited for a response.

"Yes mom," Chase said in a monotone voice.

"That's the second time you've called me _mom_. It's weird."

Gill sighed exasperatedly. "Can we just _go_ already?"

I put the car in gear and pulled out of the hospital parking lot. My hands were latched on the steering wheel and my eyes were locked on the road. We drove the first bit in relative silence, until I turned up the stereo and tried to start a road trip sing-along. No one else knew the words to any of the songs, though, and I doubted they would have sung along anyway. I switched the stereo off and we lapsed into silence again.

Luke sighed and threw his arm behind him. "I wanna try a Pupsi."

"It's _Pepsi_." Chase leaned forward and handed a can to Luke. "I think you already had one at that fast food place yesterday, but knock yourself out."

Luke eyed the can. "How do you open this?"

"Have Gill do it for you."

Luke swung his arm over the seat and dropped the can in Gill's lap. I tried to keep my eyes on the road, but it was hard not to turn around and watch what they were doing. Gill popped open the can, and I heard the sound of a mini soda explosion from the backseat. Chase immediately started laughing.

"You find this amusing?" Gill glared at him as sticky liquid dripped from his clothes.

Luke turned around and busted up with laughter.

"Guys!" I exclaimed. "This is a rental! Behave yourselves or I'll make you clean it off the seats."

No one spoke again. Gill handed the freshly opened Pepsi back to Luke, and Chase eventually stopped laughing. The car continued to roll along as sunlight beamed its hot rays through the windows, and the uneven road jostled the vehicle with every bump and pit in its path.

I took in the landscape surrounding us. Dilapidated houses punctuated the grassy blanket of yellows and greens at vast intervals. The residencies were getting few and far between. Yards were beginning to stretch for greater lengths, filled with old cars and trucks left to rust, unkempt lawns, and rope and tire swings. I smiled. Home was getting closer. The towering skyscrapers and crowded apartment complexes were behind us, along with it the congested city streets and floods of people.

I risked a glance off the road to look at Luke. He seemed to be enjoying the soda. His eyes were sparkling golden and alight with curiosity. Whatever was wrong last night seemed to have left his mind completely. He had been pointing to things along the road, asking me about them and listening when I rattled off some story from my childhood. Now he was snacking on Doritos and watching the scenery fly past.

"So," Chase began. "Let's get something straight. I'm here because I'm an extremely generous person. Luke's here because he got stuck on the boat by pure accident. And now the question is… why are _you _here, Gill?"

"I could be asking you the same thing," Gill responded, "since we all know your reason is a lie."

"What? I _am _generous." Chase tugged on the seatbelt that was strapped across his shoulder to loosen it. "I'm also impatient. Yet the question remains unanswered."

Gill frowned. "Angela offered her home to me as a place to stay."

"You know you're a terrible liar," Chase said, stating rather than questioning. He narrowed his eyes. "That's why you've mastered the avoidance tactic, eh?"

I let my eyes travel to the rearview mirror. Gill was silent. He set his jaw tensely, but his eyes were open and bright, like fragile, fluid orbs; one touch away from rupturing and spilling a glittering stream of sapphire.

Chase turned back to the window. "Something official and very much none of my business, I would assume."

Gill smiled slightly. "Yes, official business as usual. Father insisted that he go, but I couldn't allow that. A diplomatic trip to the city… there couldn't be a more perfect opportunity to prove my responsibility. The island is offering a deal to the city's director of agriculture. We want to export goods for their annual farmer's market. It would be a huge economic boost for Castanet."

"Do you think we'd get more tourists?" Luke asked as he popped a chip into his mouth and crunched loudly.

"It's a possibility." Gill leaned back against the seat and seemed to lose interest in the conversation.

I squinted at the road. The sun was getting brighter. Almost too bright. The silence felt strange so I tried to fill it with random conversation. "I can't believe what happened last night. Aren't you guys tired? I'm practically dying here."

Luke smiled. "Sort of, but this is fun."

Gill just shrugged.

Chase never answered me, so I glanced at him in the mirror. He was resting his head against the window and staring out with a blank expression. His lips were slightly parted, like he was about to say something, but his eyes were far away and his hand was nestled in his tangled web of hair. I felt like I was looking at a still photo, but then he closed his eyes for a moment. He pressed the button to roll the window down. He didn't open his eyes again until the window was all the way down and the wind blasted against his face and surged through the strands of his hair. For the first time since I had known him, Chase actually seemed like he was enjoying himself doing something other than cooking.

"Angela!" Luke lurched forward, his eyes wide and frantic. He was motioning to the road, which I should have been watching. I gasped when I realized what he was pointing at. A pair of oncoming headlights. Two immense, glaring haloes and their beams of light tore through the expanse between us and blinded my sight.

A blaring horn jolted me into reality, and I finally remembered to react. I jerked the wheel sharply to the right, almost swerving off the road, and narrowly missed a painful collision. Heaving a sigh of relief, I righted the car just as the pair of headlights zoomed past.

I glanced at Luke, his wild eyes, and his grin torn between thrill and terror. Then I looked in the mirror at Gill. He was gripping the edge of his seat with one hand and holding onto the door handle with his other.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention. It won't happen again." I curled my fingers tightly around the wheel and made the determination to keep my eyes on the road.

"No, it won't," Gill mumbled. Then his voice was suddenly closer, and I assumed he must've leaned forward. I could feel the seat give as his shoulder pressed into the side of it. His breath was on the back of my arm. "He's not that interesting, you know," he whispered, just barely loud enough for me to hear.

My face burned hot. I wasn't looking at him like _that_. I just happened to be looking at him the same time I got lost in thought. My attempt at redemption was feeble. "But I wasn't…"

Chase suddenly leaned in, and I felt his fingertips on my shoulder. My body felt like a tightly wound coil, tense and ready to burst. I thought I was going to throw up.

"You," he said with a smile in his voice, "are a terrible liar."

Luke cast a sideways glance at me, and I felt like yanking the wheel and driving off the road into a ditch. Instead, I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and clenched my jaw. Luke laughed. It was a light sound that brightened his eyes and made his smile look effortless.

"Don't worry, Ange," he said. "I believe you."

"Gee Gill, thanks a lot!" My voice was louder than I intended. "Let's just provide embarrassing commentary on my every move. Chase never answered me, so I looked at him. Is that a crime? Oh my gosh, someone call the cops! I _looked _at someone riding in the backseat of a car I happened to be driving. Maybe he fell through the window or something! You never know! I was making sure."

My outburst was met with silence. After a moment, Chase gave a light chuckle. "It's not a big deal, okay? Maya stares at me all the time. I didn't notice until the car was on the wrong side of the road, but otherwise, you're quite subtle."

I sighed and watched as the trees flew past. "We've only been driving for, like, thirty minutes. Can you please stop harassing me now? I'll be forced to kick you out and make you walk if you don't."

Luke was messing around with the seat controls and happened to press the button that made his seat shift backward all the way. Gill, unfortunately, was sitting directly behind him.

"Luke!" He groaned as his face contorted with pain. "What the heck did you do?"

Luke tried to pull his seat back into the regular position but it wouldn't budge. He was laughing. "This car rocks!"

"I think the passenger seat is too much for you handle, Luke." Chase leaned back and smirked.

The road curved around a vast cluster of trees, and I craned my neck to see if there were any cars coming around the corner. One of the streets branched off the main road just past the curve. I glanced down it and narrowed my eyes. It was a slight detour, but I had to see. I turned down the side-street and drove a short ways until we reached a long, dirt driveway. The car slowed, but I didn't stop.

There it was. The place I wished I could erase from my past forever.

The house was tall, beautiful, framed by a forest of trees, but only half there. The other half was burned and charred black, hollowed out like it had been torched. It looked fragile, as if one gust of wind would be enough to make it crumble.

It used to be my favorite place to play as a little girl. A creek snaked behind the house and through the maze of foliage. There was no fence; the trees were so dense around the perimeter, there was no need. The best part: it was always empty. No one lived there. I would play in the yard and on the swing and in the creek, all without getting in trouble. It was a wonderful, secret place. Until it became the architecture of my guilt and regret.

I felt like a stone just dropped into my stomach. Pressing on the accelerator, I shook my head and steered the car back toward the main road. I saw what I had wanted to see.

"Stop!"

The word sliced through me, jolting every nerve and fiber of my body. Chase had said it. His voice bordered between commanding and desperate. I didn't even think; I just hit the brakes and turned around as fast as possible to see what was wrong. But he was already throwing open his door and getting out.

"Chase," I called. He didn't turn around. He was walking toward the old house.

Luke tried to lean forward but was held in place by the locked seatbelt. He looked from me to Gill. "What's he doing?"

Gill released his seatbelt and watched as Chase walked across the road. He was still wedged between Luke's seat and his own. "I don't know."

"I'll wait five minutes," I said. "If he doesn't come back in five minutes, I'll go figure out what's wrong."

He didn't come back in five minutes. I waited an extra two minutes and he still didn't come back. Pushing my door open, I stepped onto the asphalt. It would have been smart to pull over, but there weren't any other cars on this road anyway, so I just left it.

I walked down the long, winding stone path into the veil of leaves, until I was standing right in front of the house. The door was ajar. It was so broken that I didn't think it was even capable of closing. As I pushed the door open and stepped inside, I felt like I was walking into ruins.

There were heaps of blackened wood and debris scattered around the floor. I glanced up. The ceiling was burned. Gone. I could see furniture on the second floor above my head. The house seemed even more brittle and unstable. I just knew it was going to collapse over me at any minute, and my stomach tightened into knots.

I stepped over a piece of metal and ducked my head to see past the doorway and into another room. There was Chase, standing in the middle of the mess, with his back to me.

He glanced over his shoulder. There was no expression on his face, only glowing sparks in his eyes. Against the deep purple of his irises, it reminded me of the first nighttime snowfall in winter; little ice crystals spiraling and twirling under the lamplights, melting upon complete descent. Beautiful. Fragile.

He could see me. I just knew it. He could see the guilt eating away at my flesh and tearing into my bones, the regret pressing into my stomach like a fist, and the fear in my eyes. There was nothing I could do to hide it - the truth plastered across my face - so I turned away. But he didn't react. His eyes were skirting over the debris.

There was more silence, complete and engulfing. He continued to look at every heap and pile of charred wood.

"What do you see?" I asked finally.

Chase shook his head slightly. "What?"

"Sometimes you look at things, but I can tell you aren't actually looking at them. It's like you see something else there. What do you see here?"

He blinked at me. Whatever trust he had in me last night was gone. He wasn't going to actually tell me. But then a smile flashed across his face, flitting like a shadow, and he said, "The way things used to be." Chase pointed to a mangled, burned piece of something. "The couch." Then he pointed to the hole in the ceiling. "My bedroom."

"You _lived_ here?" I breathed. Jason was right. All those years ago, he was right. And Chase _was_ the kid with freckles. "But that's impossible. This house has been empty since I was born."

"_Illegal_, but not impossible." Chase raised his eyebrow at me. "You used to have glasses, didn't you?"

I couldn't breathe, but I tried to smother my surprise by asking the first question that popped into my mind. "You recognize me?"

"Yeah. I recognized you the first day I met you."

"And you didn't say anything?"

"Say what? 'Hey I'm Chase, that homeless orphan kid from the past. Remember me?' Not exactly something I wanted to bring up. Besides, I wasn't completely sure it was you." He sighed. "Angela, don't look at me like that. It wasn't bad."

I turned away.

"_Do _you remember me?"

A short breath left my lips. "Sort of. You look different, though."

"Yeah, well…" Chase shrugged.

"You have freckles," I said. "And you like Pepsi."

"This conversation is getting weird."

"No, I mean, that's how I knew. One time I was walking with my friend and her brother, and he-"

"He pushed me, I dropped all my stuff – my Pepsi – yeah, I know. And you just stood there, not unlike the way you do most of the time, with a clueless expression on your face."

"You remember?" I wanted to ask what was going through his mind when he had smiled at me all those years ago, but it seemed like such a strange thing to bring up now. The freckled boy in the past seemed like a completely different person than the apathetic chef who stood in front of me.

"Yeah. I was waiting for the bus and trying to ignore that green-eyed moron. Honestly, his eyes were the color of mucus."

"That's who it was," I said slowly. "Green eyes. The guy who stabbed you had green eyes. He said the weirdest thing to me - 'Just like old times.' But I get it now. He knew it was you. That jerk, he-" I couldn't go on. I couldn't tell Chase what else he told me. _Now you'll know the pain I suffered because of you. _ If I told him that, he would ask what I did. And I couldn't tell him about the house fire, and how I ended up telling the police what actually happened, and how Jason was sent to juvenile court and charged with aggravated arson. "He always had it out for you, y'know."

"I know." Chase shook his head and absently touched a bruise on his jaw. "I knew it was him yesterday, too."

"Hey, guys!" Luke stood in the doorway and peered inside. "Are you coming or what?"

Chase glanced behind him at the room. He clenched his fist at his side and tensed his shoulders. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, we're coming."

Luke disappeared from the doorway and started down the long path again.

Even after he was gone, Chase didn't turn around. "I want to show you something," he said suddenly.

"Me?"

"No, this pile of garbage." After I didn't respond, he blinked. "Yes, you. Now go outside before I change my mind."

I did as I was told. I stepped outside and watched Luke's back as he strode down the stone path, caged in on all sides by light green leaves and dark green bushes. He had a bounce in his step, like he had so much energy that it rebounded every time his feet touched the ground.

"Come on." Chase led me down the side of the house. We turned and walked to the middle of the yard. The grass was yellow and dead under my feet. He stopped right in front of the back side of the house and looked at it.

I followed his gaze and didn't speak.

He glanced at me. "Remember when you asked me to help you move furniture at your house?"

"And you refused to go near the window?"

Chase pressed his lips together. "Right. Well, it's not the noblest excuse, but there's why." He pointed to a window on the second floor. It was shattered.

"It happened during the fire," he continued. Each word was forced out and sounded like it didn't fit in his mouth. "I was twelve. The window was broken, but it was the only way in."

"In?"

"There was something..." Chase ran his hand through his hair and cleared his throat. "There was something I... yeah."

His shoulders dropped slightly. That's when I realized it. He had lost something here. And he wanted it back. I knew there was more to the story; it was just a glimpse of what he had gone through. Maybe someday he would trust me enough to tell me, but right now this was all he could let go of.

"Thank you for telling me."

"Yeah, sure." He coughed slightly. "Thanks for staying with me. At the hospital, I mean. But you pretty much wasted your time, considering I was asleep and honestly wouldn't have known the difference. "

"Well you kept saying how much you hated hospitals, so I just figured you wouldn't mind the company." I clasped my hands together behind my back. "Besides, that's what friends are for."

He stiffened. "What?"

"Friends. We're friends, right?"

"I don't know whose stupid idea it was to start putting labels on these things."

I shook my head. "You mean relationships?"

"Yeah, I mean, seriously, they aren't even _real _things. They're just in people's minds."

"So is intelligence. Are you saying intelligence isn't real?"

"You can measure intelligence. You can't measure friendship."

"Wow, Chase," I drawled with a smile. "If you take that last sentence out of context, it would look really nice on a Hallmark card."

"Yeah, I'm a genius." He started walking toward the path and I followed.

Now I knew what I had longed to know since the day I saw his scar. But _this_… This was too much. I didn't want to know that I was basically an accomplice to burning down his house.

I couldn't change what I did, and I wasn't sure if I could ever tell Chase the truth. But there was one thing I could do to make it right.

Whatever he had lost, I would get it back. I _had _to get it back; otherwise the black hole of guilt would swallow me alive.

* * *

><p><em>AN: I've got this all planned out. It may seem like I'm focusing a lot on Chase right now, but once they return to the island… that might change a little. Psshh and you guys think CHASE is messed up. Wait until you see what happens to someone else. xD_

_Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up! Do you guys like the longer chapters? Or do you prefer them to be under 5,000? By the way - Erin, Jason, and Cody are all OCs. Ahh don't hurt me. -_- (But seriously, Angela didn't live in a cardboard box before she moved to Castanet. Obviously she had a life, with friends and a past and all that jazz... lol)_

_You should all thank Lyric for making me post this chapter today. She was super encouraging (and by encouraging, I mean she found a way to physically torture me using only a large Band-Aid… yeah… don't even ask.)_

_I can't believe we reached 100 reviews already! I truly appreciate every single review, alert, favorite, PM, etc. All your wonderful comments are treasured forever in my heart. :') Thank you all so much!_

_**- The book cover for Caught Clueless was made by cNhiansae on deviantART. -**__ It's incredible, isn't it? There's a link to her dA account on my profile, so go check it out!_

_Review please? :) Thanks!_

_~ Violet_


	13. Cool

"You _what?_"

My mother stood before me, with her wavy, light brown hair and slight wrinkles around her eyes from years of laughing and smiling. Now, however, she wasn't smiling; she raised her hands in defeat and puckered her lips in a forlorn expression.

I shook my head. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know. I'm sorry, honey," she said. "We'll just call them and let them know of the mistake. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"_Castanet _Island." I pinched my eyes shut. "Castanet. Not Sunshine Islands. Were you even listening to me? Did you even read my letters?"

Chase stepped forward from the safety of the wall and narrowed his eyes at us. "Wait, you mean the dog isn't even here?"

"It was an honest mistake. No big deal, really. We'll fix it," Mom interjected quickly.

"No big deal," Chase repeated. He scoffed lightly and began to say something more, but Gill cut him off with a sharp glare. Chase rubbed a hand across his bruised forehead and leaned back against the wall. Luke took a breath like he had something to add to the conversation, but no one was willing to break the silence again. The nearby wall was just begging me to bang my head against it. I plopped onto the couch and sighed instead.

"It's fine," I said. It really wasn't. I had come all this way, unwittingly dragged Chase, Gill and Luke into a disaster, and had my world turned upside down, all for the goal of being reunited with Roscoe.

My mom sensed the tense ambiance and put her arms around me in a hug. It had been a while since I had seen her, and I couldn't blame her for making a mistake. Even if that mistake was sending my dog on a boat to some random island.

Over my mom's shoulder, I saw Gill standing awkwardly under my dad's scrutiny. It was quite embarrassing. He had already evaluated Luke, and to my surprise, he was deemed acceptable. Until he noticed the axe, that is.

"Now, son, why are you carrying an _axe_?" my dad demanded.

Luke flashed one of his charming grins. "Well, sir, I'm a carpenter. I can't go anywhere without my trusty axe."

My dad was silent for a long time, during which I held my breath. Finally he nodded. "Fair enough. I'll have to show you my shop out the back later. I think you'll get a kick out of it."

"Dad," I whispered, shaking my head. "No one says stuff like that anymore."

He just ignored me and moved on with his very _un_subtle evaluations. I could tell he approved of Gill also, but he was having a harder time with Chase. The bruises, cuts, and evident exhaustion weren't really helping his cause. He looked like he was from a drug gang or something. A gang that wore hairpins and sandals, apparently.

"Can I ask about the clips?" My dad tried in vain to hide his scorn for the seemingly girly accessory and motioned to Chase's pins. That was why Luke had passed inspection and Chase hadn't. My dad was into everything tough and manly, and Luke definitely fit that bill.

"Um. I cook in a restaurant and my hair tends to fall in my face, so I use those." He always sounded awkward when he was talking normally, like he was trying to force out a civilized statement around the sarcastic one he had on the tip of his tongue.

At the mention of cooking, my mom released me from her hug and turned around to get a look at Chase.

"Oh you poor kids-"

"Not _kids_, mom!"

"-what happened? You two are covered in bruises. Was Angela driving?" She hopped up to examine Gill and Chase more closely. Gill didn't have quite as many bruises as Chase, but it was still enough to look painful.

"Mom!"

"You know I'm just teasing, dear."

My dad stepped closer to me and whispered in his not-actually-whispering voice, "He looks like he's on drugs."

"Dad, please! No one's on drugs!"

Chase narrowed his eyes at my dad. "Excuse me?"

I closed my eyes and mouthed a plea.

"Did you get in a fight?" My dad crossed his arms and turned to me. "I don't know how I feel about the company you choose, Angela. I'm worried you're going to get tangled up with the wrong crowd."

Luke let out a short, loud laugh. "Are we talking about Chase?" He slung his arm over Chase's shoulder forcefully. "Man, that's funny. Mr. Williams, sir, if you don't mind, I think we're great company for your daughter. She's a lot of fun! And don't worry about Chase here. I don't know what his problem is half the time, but he's pretty cool."

Chase shook his head slowly. "Thanks… Luke. I think you need to be on medication, but if you were, I don't think you'd be half as entertaining as you are now."

"Hah, see?" Luke grinned. "That was sort of like a compliment!"

"Well, I think Gill seems like a very sensible young man." My mom smiled at him. "You must keep your friends in line."

He smiled back at my parents. "I certainly don't condone reckless behavior."

"Reckless behavior? _Luke _is reckless. I am not reckless." Chase closed his eyes for one brief moment and leaned against the wall behind him. "Honestly, I don't know why you continually accuse me of being violent. What that guy did was totally uncalled for!"

"Calm down," Gill snapped. "I wasn't suggesting that. You didn't let me finish." He shook his head slightly. "With all due respect, Mr. Williams, I believe there was a measure of justification in Chase's actions. There was a situation where your daughter could have been seriously injured. Thankfully, that wasn't the case." He glanced at Chase and stopped talking.

"Chase got hurt," I blurted. "He was protecting me."

"Hurt?" my mom echoed.

Chase rolled his eyes. "It's nothing."

"It isn't nothing. You almost-"

"Don't say that." He shook his head. "No, Angela, I didn't."

"Almost what?" My mom frowned. "Let's sit down for dinner and you can tell us what happened. You made it just in time for my special roasted chicken and rice."

We all walked through the doorway and sat around the dining table. My mom had to go to the garage and bring out an extra two chairs. They weren't expecting all this company. Thankfully, my mom always made more food than she and my dad needed.

Luke sat across from me at the table and smiled. He sent a pointed glance at something behind me, and I turned. There was one of my baby pictures hanging on the wall. I was about three years old at the time of the photo, in my ladybug swimming suit, lime green floaties, pigtails, and a goofy grin. A blush crept onto my face. Luke just smiled at me and eased my embarrassment with his warm golden eyes.

"You're cute," he said. Butterflies erupted in my stomach. He hadn't said I _was _cute. He said I _am_ cute.

"So, Luke," my dad began, "what kind of carpentry do you do?"

"Oh!" Luke's eyes brightened up. His mouth curled into a handsome grin. "Well I work with my pops and another apprentice, and we build chairs, desks, cabinets, you know – furniture. We also do building and home renovations. It's pretty sweet."

"Luke is very skilled with an axe." I smiled. "What was that one trick you were showing me? The extreme... something...?"

"Ah, yeah." He laughed. "The Extreme Chop of Awesomeness."

"Right! You should show my dad. I think he'd get a kick out of it."

"Okay, I get it. I'm old." My dad laughed but shook his head. "Have you taught Angela anything about carpentry, Luke?"

Luke glanced at me. "I could, if she wants."

My dad nodded. "I think it'd be good for her to learn. Just stay away from the dangerous stuff."

"Will do, sir. I'll make sure she's safe at all times." He turned to me and grinned. "Did you know that when Bo first started out he had to wear these crazy bug-eyed goggles and a hardhat that was two sizes too big? I think we still have that stuff."

"Oh, no. That won't be necessary." I laughed. "Since when are you a safety-first kind of guy?"

"Since I was put in charge of your protection."

"Less than five minutes ago?"

He laughed. "You got it."

A short silence followed. Chase's eyes were fixed on his plate, and he hadn't once spared a glance up since we sat down. Gill, who sat next to me, was looking at all the pictures on the wall. Most of them were of my parents, their anniversaries, their wedding, and some of them were of me.

My mom took a sip of water and cleared her throat. "So this _situation _of sorts you mentioned earlier... Could someone please explain?"

Gill set his fork down and bit his lip, as if he was contemplating something. Then he looked over at my parents and nodded. "Well, originally, we were scheduled to take the bus here, but unfortunately, we missed it. Then it got late, and we were trying to find a hotel to stay the night in."

My dad tensed up. The thought of me staying the night in a hotel with three guys probably just passed through his mind like a jolting electric current.

"I don't know exactly how it happened. But Luke and I were checking in at a hotel. Angela had been walking ahead of us, so Chase went to go tell her where we were staying. They never came back. I went to go see what they were doing. Some guy - he looked like he was from a gang - was talking to them. When we started walking away, he just... I don't know. He had a knife. He was going to hurt your daughter."

Gill paused and we all unconsciously glanced at Chase. He was still staring at his plate expressionlessly.

"Chase pushed her out of the way. But unfortunately, a fight ensued, and he ended up getting stabbed. That required a trip to the ER and an overnight stay, but aside from being sore and tired, I think we're all okay."

My dad furrowed his eyebrows.

Luke wasn't smiling anymore. He had the same look on his face as he did last night, when I asked him where he had been.

Chase didn't look up. Instead, he stared harder at his plate, as if lasers would suddenly shoot out of his eyes.

"Oh my gosh, Angela!" My mom was the first one to break the silence. "Why didn't you call the police?"

I pursed my lips and looked down. When I closed my eyes, I saw blood. Chase's blood. And his words echoed in my mind: _It _is_ a little unsettling to watch as your own blood makes a puddle on the ground_. There was his distorted smile, his eyes, his bruises. I saw his hair tangle up in his fingers and heard his ragged breathing. It was so real, I had to open my eyes and make sure he was actually sitting across from me.

"No time," I said.

Chase pushed away from the table suddenly and stood up. All eyes snapped to him. He still didn't say anything. He just stood there, looking down at his plate.

Luke lifted a hand. "Chase, um, what's that?"

Everyone's eyes, including Chase's, travelled down his shirt and settled on a red stain. It was fresh; he was bleeding. He covered it with his hand quickly, but not quickly enough.

My mom's mouth twitched into a smile and then a grimace. "Oh, hon-"

"It's fine," he said, glancing up. His eyebrows were pushed together. "The... uh, the chicken..." Chase shook his head and started walking past the table. "Your chicken is dry."

He pushed through the doorway and left.

Mom let her eyes fall to the plump, seasoned chicken in the middle of the table and opened her mouth slightly.

Luke leaned forward and caught her eye. "Don't listen to him. Your chicken rocks."

I excused myself from the table and found myself standing in front of the closed bathroom door. A frustrated groan came from the inside, prompting me to knock lightly on the door and hold my breath. "Chase? Are you... okay?"

The door swung open with such force that I jumped back.

"Yes, Angela, I'm _fine._ Just perfect. It's not like I'm bothered by the fact that you all keep talking about me like I'm someone to be pitied. Just stop it, would you? We already established what I did. We don't need to keep bringing it up and saying stupid things like, 'Oh Chase, you look terrible,' or 'Huh, I wonder what's wrong with him.' I already _know _what I look like, and yeah, I _wonder _why I'm not bouncing off the walls. Maybe because I'm, oh, I don't know... _tired_? And _bleeding_? And for goddess' sake, would you quit looking at me like that?"

I stepped into the bathroom and crouched down under the sink for a washcloth. Chase stopped talking as I wetted the cloth.

"Okay. We won't talk about it anymore," I said. "You'll have to unbutton your shirt."

He didn't protest like I expected him to. Instead, he just began unbuttoning the top few buttons on his shirt, exposing his chest. He didn't unbutton all the way down, just enough to get to the bleeding. He pushed his sleeves up, and I noticed how lean and strong his arms looked.

"Chase," I began, "where on earth did you get your hairpins? I can't imagine you waking up one morning and being like, 'Hey I think I'll accessorize with hairpins today.' Of course, that _is_ a very manly choice, as I'm sure you know."

He grabbed the cloth from my hand and started wiping the blood from his skin. His frown smoothed out into a neutral expression. "You don't think so? Shoot. The guy at the mall lied to me."

I hopped up on the counter and let my legs dangle down. "Seriously, where'd you get them?"

Chase's head was tilted down, but he glanced up at me and continued dabbing at the wound. There was a small smile on his face. "You know how little kids always want to be these crazy things when they grow up?"

"Yeah."

"Well what did you want to be?" His eyes were open wide, and at that moment, I noticed how he actually looked his age, even younger, when he smiled, instead of much older with a scowl on his face.

"That's one way to subtly change the subject." I smiled. "I wanted to be a storm chaser, like with tornadoes and stuff."

He handed the bloodied washcloth back to me. "Interesting choice. Wouldn't have guessed that. But then again, you _are _an interesting person."

"I'm going to ignore that comment. What about you?" I dropped the washcloth into the trashcan by the sink. "Oh, please don't tell me you wanted to be a hairdresser and that's why you wear the pins..."

He didn't say anything.

"Oh my gosh, Chase. You can't be serious. A racecar driver, an astronaut, something not related to dressing hair! Please tell me you are _joking_."

"Whoa. Pull yourself together. A little sexist, are we? Ironic, considering you're female and you run a farm."

"Yeah. I guess you're right. ...there's nothing wrong with little boys wanting to braid hair," I said, but even as the words left my mouth, a strange mental image popped into my mind.

Chase laughed for a second then fell quiet. "It _does_ sound disturbing when you say it like that. But no, I never wanted to be a hairdresser." He made a face. "Does it look like I care about my hair? Now Gill, on the other hand... Look through his bag and I bet you'll find out how he spends his money."

"Hair products? Isn't that what you told me once?" I laughed, remembering the night when Chase walked me home from Gill's house and told me that Gill's cowlick was unnatural. "What did you want to be, really?"

He shrugged. "I don't think I ever thought about it when I was young. Cooking was just what I did. It was the only thing I knew how to do. So naturally I went with it."

"And how is this relevant to your hairpins?"

"It's not. I was just curious."

"And you call me weird." I studied his face for a moment. "Did you get it fixed? Your bleeding wound, I mean."

"Sort of." Chase pulled the top of his shirt apart and looked down. He pressed his hand against his stomach, as if he was testing to see if it hurt. "Gah, I don't even know how this happened. I think it was the seatbelt in the car..." He rolled his eyes. "Or that pathetic, mentally deranged excuse for a human being who shoved his knife into my stomach."

"Jason?"

"Oh, yeah, is that what they're calling those nowadays?"

"Apparently so. All pathetic, mentally deranged excuses for human beings will henceforth be referred to as Jason." I laughed and leaned forward from my perch on the counter and bit my lip. "Can I... see?"

"No, I prefer to keep my shirt _on_. Sorry to disappoint." He stood next to me and leaned back against the counter. "Jason, huh? I knew that. Didn't he have a sister?"

"Erin. We used to be best friends."

"Well, congratulations to Jason for receiving the first black eye I've ever given out." Chase folded his arms, and his mouth twitched into a smile for a brief second. "I, uh, think I may have broken his hand. No more knives for him."

It wasn't entirely appropriate, but I started laughing. It was just a giggle at first, and then it escalated to full-on hysterics once I realized the absurdity of what he just said. "What did you do? Try to _maim _him? Gosh Chase, conversations with you are so bizarre. One minute you're in your little emo corner, the next you're suddenly curious about my childhood, and then you go all creepy and sadistic."

He feigned hurt. "Me? What about you? You're the one who _cries _at _other people's _nightmares. You actually asked if you could hug me, and then you couldn't even do it right. That was downright strange, in my opinion. Half the time you act like you're my mother and the other half you're either an emotional mess or you act so utterly clueless I don't know how you live independently. I'm no doctor, but I think you need medication."

"And you need intensive therapy! Who just gets up and leaves in the middle of conversations?"

"People who aren't enjoying them."

I started laughing again. "You know something, Chase, you are one of the coolest people I've ever met."

"I was just thinking the same about you. Except 'cool' isn't the word I would've used."

I tried to look hurt, but just seeing him smile was enough to make me feel lighter than air. "Charming. And that's why you've earned the title."

"Great. I've just been given the most esteemed honor." He stared back at me with his mouth tugged into an amused smile. "I, Chase, am finally one of the cool kids."

This brought on another bout of laughter. "Congratulations. Now let's go get our cool selves back to the kitchen so you can apologize to my mom for calling her chicken dry."

* * *

><p><em>AN: I think I just realized that I love writing conversations. This is weird but I relate more to Chase than to Angela in this story. Sometimes she does things I would never do... lol_

_Forgive me for presenting you with this subpar chapter after such a long absence. ;_;_

_I'm super sorry it's been way too long since I've updated, but school started a few weeks ago. :/ I have chapters fourteen through twenty all typed up on my computer, but from my track record, that actually means nothing, lol._

_Thank you all so much for the ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE REVIEWS :O Seriously, I love every single person who reads this story and adds it (or me) to their alerts/favorites list and/or leaves reviews._

_Crossroadsdeals, Skyelara, wingshooter97 (BKF ;D), theatrelove123, CrazySakuraHarunoXD, StephanoAtlas, DawnToSunset, 13, HersheyChocolates101, IslandGirl892, swingdancer23 (you didn't review but I put you on the list anyhow ;D), and Alisyndrome ~ thank you so so much for the reviews! :D Sometimes I feel like I should do a shout-out, and this is one of those days. ;D_

_Review please? Thanks!_

**Book cover was made by cNhiansae of deviantART.**

~ Violet


	14. Colloquy in Lavender

I volunteered to go out and get everyone's bags while my parents brought out the dreaded baby picture book. The only one remotely interested was Luke, but even he had to admit that it was a stretch to be truly fascinated by pictures of someone dribbling applesauce down their chin.

The trunk popped open, and I leaned into the back of it, being careful not to hit my head like I always did. Chase's bag smelled of oranges and fresh herbs. It had probably been shoved to the back of his closet until the day I asked him to come to the city with me. I slung it over my shoulder as he had done earlier so I could carry everything better. Gill's bag was surprisingly light, and Luke didn't even have one.

"Let me help you with that."

I hit my head on the trunk of the car and winced. Gill was walking toward me, holding his hand out to grab a bag. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

I rubbed the back of my head. "Oh, it's fine. Happens all the time."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just said I was fine." I gave him a weird look as he grabbed his bag from me.

"No, I mean, you've been acting strange today. Is something bothering you?" he asked.

I didn't know what came over me, but before I realized what I was doing, I had my arms around him and my face buried in his chest.

_Lavender._ That was the indescribable scent I had tried so hard to figure out every time I visited his house. It was embedded in the fabric of his shirt.

His body stiffened, but he put his arms around me after a moment. I closed my eyes and tried to make the moment last as long as possible.

"I think I've been traumatized," I mumbled into his shoulder. He laughed slightly, and I felt the vibration of his chest against my head. I pulled away after a minute and sighed. His eyes were always so blue, a shade of clarity and refreshment.

"I thought you were saving that for Chase," he said.

That comment surprised me. It was beginning to get annoying how he kept hinting that I was into Chase. "Well you deserve one too."

"Why? He's the one who saved you."

"You saved me too." I smiled. "From going insane. You stayed with me at the hospital and reassured me. And when I saw your face looking down at me in the street after what happened, I knew everything was going to be okay. I don't know what I would have done if I had to endure that alone. You probably saved Chase too. If it had been just me and him, he might've… died."

Gill didn't say anything. It was true, and we both knew it.

"Can I talk to you about something?" I shifted my weight and looked up at him past the glare of the sun.

There was a familiar frown etched into his features. "Okay. Right now?"

"Yeah. There actually _is_ something bothering me."

And that's when I spilled everything.

I started from the beginning. I told him about all the times I had seen Chase around the neighborhood, like when Jason pushed him down, and when I was walking home from school and saw him lying under a tree at the park but got too nervous to go ask what his name was. I told him about the time Jason, Erin, and I went to the little convenience store and bought all the Pepsi they had as a cruel joke. I told him about our party and the fire and the screaming I heard from the inside. I even went so far as to tell him about how I ruined Jason's life by telling on him to the police.

By the end, I felt like a completely different person. I had just confessed everything. My mind didn't exactly feel like a weight had been lifted; it felt more like I hadn't slept in a week and everything was going in slow motion. I realized I was shaking. What if Gill didn't even care? What if I had confessed to the wrong person?

I knew I had. I should've told Chase everything. But I was too scared. Maybe I was hoping Gill would be enough, and if he knew, I wouldn't have to tell anyone else. Maybe if he forgave me, it would be easier to forgive myself.

Gill was just watching me silently. He hadn't said anything even after I was done. It was beginning to worry me.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" I felt dizzy suddenly. "I- I know I should've told Chase. I couldn't. I thought you'd understand. Maybe... I don't know. You can be angry if you want."

His eyes searched my face, meticulous and calculating. After a while, he raised his eyebrows curiously. "What's there to be mad about?"

"Just think about it. Jason set Chase's house on fire twelve years ago. That's when Chase moved to Castanet, right?" My shoulders dropped. "And I was right there. I could've done something. I could've called the fire department. But I was so scared. Oh gosh, Gill, what if Chase got _hurt_ because I didn't do anything about it?"

He stepped toward me and lifted his hand from his side, like he was going to touch me, but he didn't. "That was a long time ago. It really doesn't matter anymore."

"It does matter!" That's when I realized I wasn't shaking because I was afraid. I was shaking because I was angry. At myself. Maybe I didn't actually want Gill to forgive me; I wanted him to be mad at me. That way I would get what I deserved. "At the hospital, Chase was having a nightmare. You know what about? A_ fire!_ He has _nightmares_ about being in _fires_. Gosh, I wonder why! And that doesn't matter? You don't care?"

He grimaced. "Angela, stop. I do care."

"No you don't. You think I'm too _innocent _or whatever because I actually care about Chase, and I careabout you and Luke. And I hate all these stupid secrets! I just want things to be simple, and I want everyone to be happy."

"Is that what you think? Of course I care about people." He was calm, steady as always. When I fell apart, he still stood. It was making me feel a thousand times worse. Why couldn't he just get mad at me?

"Like who? Who on this planet is worthy of your concern?"

The instant it left my mouth, I knew it was too much. This wasn't even about him. But somehow I found a way to bring him into it, so I wasn't the only one falling. In that second, when his eyes flashed, I wished I had told Chase and he was the one looking at me in scorn instead of Gill.

"I care about _you._" His words came out in an angry rush. "I care about Chase and Luke and the whole island! But you know what? The world doesn't work like that." His face hardened, and he looked me straight in the eyes. "Caring doesn't _fix _anything. Just because you care about Chase doesn't mean he'll magically forget whatever happened to him." Gill picked up his bag. "You don't get that. You care too much. About everybody."

His cerulean eyes never looked more enigmatic or unfamiliar as they did then. I didn't say anything. I just reached out and let my fingertips graze his wrist. He looked back at me and stared at my face for a long moment. Then he let out a little puff of air and relaxed slightly.

"You cared too much once, didn't you?" I ventured.

Gill looked past my face, out at the trees and sky behind me. Then his eyes returned to mine. "When my mother got sick, I had never cared so much about anyone in my life. I wanted her to get better more than anything. I didn't want to lose her, but she still died. She's gone." He stopped abruptly and stayed silent for a moment. Then he continued more quietly, "And sometimes I think that if I had cared a little less, maybe it wouldn't have hurt so much."

There was a heavy lump in my throat, and I turned away, ashamed. I tried to look at him, but his eyes were too soft, softer than ever. Vulnerable.

"Gill." The word barely came out. I didn't know what I wanted to say. I was sorry? I didn't know? Nothing seemed right. So I just stayed silent until the words came to me, then I looked at him. "She wouldn't want you to be afraid, you know."

"What are you talking about?" he asked carefully. "I'm not afraid."

"I think you are. I think that's why you're so uptight all the time. You're afraid to admit that Chase is actually the closest thing to a friend you have, or that you find Luke hilarious, or that you worry about me sometimes…" I gave a small smile. "But this way, you have no one to lose, right? If you don't care about people, it won't hurt when you lose them."

"Oh goddess, Angela, don't say stuff like that. You sound just like her…"

The evening was eerily still. The sun was dipping lower toward the horizon, painting streaks of orange and pink across the hazy blue sky. Gill's eyes were strikingly brilliant against such obscurity. A few strands of his blond hair caught the golden rays of sunlight and shimmered, a sparkling honey color.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten upset just now," I said. Stepping forward, I closed the gap between us and let my arms loop around his back. He let out a short breath as his body relaxed into the embrace. I breathed in lavender and the scent of him. I didn't know if he wanted to, but he still held me. "Thanks for listening. I'm sorry about your mom, Gill."

He pulled away and picked up his bag again from the ground. He didn't say anything.

"You'll be a great mayor."

Gill nodded slightly. "Someday."

"I know what you're thinking."

He pursed his lips. "What am I thinking?"

"That I'm crazy. I should be on meds or something because I have unexpected mood swings. Chase already told me so."

"No," he said, shaking his head slightly. "He says that to everyone."

"Well he made some valid points. There's just something about Chase that makes me feel... sick."

"I think he elicits that response in most people."

I smiled but shook my head. "No, I mean sick as in... guilty... or sad or something... like I just want to _fix _everything for him, and I can't because I don't even know what I should fix."

"Yeah," he conceded. "But maybe nothing _can _be fixed. You can't change the past. I'm sure he knows that. I care about people and all, but I honestly don't care to talk about Chase and his problems. I'll just say one thing. He's exceptionally good at covering things up. If you know anything about his life, it's because he wants you to. Don't try too hard, and if he wants you to know something, he'll make sure you do."

"But that one time, when I went to his house really early in the morning, he answered the door shirtless and..." I stopped. I wasn't sure if Gill knew about the scar or not. "That was an accident. He couldn't have known I was coming and then planned to open the door with no shirt on. That's how it all started, by accident."

"You're talking about that scar he's got?" He blinked. "Well, did he make up a normal, plausible excuse for it? Like he fell off his bicycle or something?"

I shook my head.

"When I saw it – beach party a long time ago, my mom practically forced him to take off his shirt to go swimming - he made up this really good story about appendicitis, which I know now isn't the case, but at the time he made it sound legitimate. He could've just told you the same thing and it wouldn't have mattered. But he didn't try to cover it up for you."

"I don't think he would feel the same way if he knew."

"About your role in the fire?" Gill's mouth turned into an awkward sort of smile, remorse tugging one corner down while something else lifted the other. I didn't know what it was. "Well, he's not going to find out from me."

* * *

><p>Luke was undoubtedly a very curious person. He was often impulsive and brimming with energy. Chase, on the other hand, didn't seem to care about anything. He did things at his own pace, probably just to irritate other people – slow when everyone was fast and fast when everyone was slow. At the moment, they were both exhibiting their distinctive personalities.<p>

It was six o'clock in the evening, and Luke seemed to be playing twenty questions with me, though he had long since passed twenty. Chase was sitting on the couch across from us, staring at the wall with heavily-lidded eyes and one hand propping up his head. We were all half-asleep, except for Luke, of course.

"Next question!" Luke smiled, the same smile he had used when he was about to ask each of the previous forty-eight questions. "What was your job before you came to Castanet?"

"I was a marketing analyst," I said.

Gill raised his brow at me. He was sitting on the couch, on the opposite end as Chase. "A marketing analyst? Isn't that for smart people?"

"Ha-ha." I rolled my eyes. "I _am_ smart. But that job was so boring. I hated it."

"What did you _want _to do?" Luke inquired.

"I already told Chase, but it's kind of lame..." I bit my lip. "What about you, Luke? What was your dream job as a child?"

He leaned back in the armchair and looked thoughtful. Then he smiled. "I've always wanted to move to the forest and live in a tree house kingdom."

"A tree house kingdom?"

"Yeah."

"Sounds fun." I looked to Gill. "What about you?"

He frowned. "Ever since I was young, I wanted to be the mayor, like my father. It runs in the family, you know."

Luke shook his head. "Yeah, but just say you _couldn't_ be the mayor. What would you do then?"

"I don't know. That's all I've ever thought of."

I glanced at Chase. He was sitting, slightly slouched, with his arm wrapped around his stomach. There was a glazed look in his eyes. His injury must have been hurting him, but he was too prideful to say something. He pressed his mouth into a tight line as he straightened up and caught my gaze.

Chase gave a slight half-smile. There was a crease near the corner of his mouth that I never noticed before. He pushed the hair out of his eyes and let his fingers displace his hairpins. They came loose and he held them in his palm. He ran his hand through his hair and let wavy strands of strawberry blond fall across his eye.

"Oh!" I shifted my gaze to the wall and smiled as if I just remembered something. "The guest bedroom is upstairs, down the hall, first door on the left. There's another bedroom across the hall, and, of course, the couch. I doubt any of you want to sleep in my old bedroom. It's actually pretty scary in there, with the boy band posters and whatnot. I put your bags at the bottom of the stairs."

No one said anything for a moment. Gill glanced at me and then at Chase. "I don't mind taking the couch," he said. I knew why he had said that. He was trying to prove to me, or to himself, that he did care.

A look similar to horror crossed Chase's features, and then he scowled. "Do you think I'm a _charity_ case? Goddess Gill, I don't need _you _to treat me like I'm some special needs person. That's low when _you _of all people start being _nice _to me." He stood up suddenly, as if the couch was on fire, and turned toward the stairs.

"Chill out, would you? I just thought, since, you know, you were _stabbed_, you might appreciate _not_ being uncomfortable." Gill shook his head. "I would never _dream _of being nice to you otherwise. You are an unbearable, sarcastic jerk. I honestly don't know why Angela invited you to come with her."

Luke let out a short burst of laughter and Chase blinked, completely unfazed at the insults just thrown at him. He opened his mouth to say something.

"Just go before you stab someone's eye out with a fork for smiling at you," Gill said with a shake of his head.

I laughed along with Luke.

"Chase, what's your problem? We're just trying to be nice. It's not like we don't know you had a _knife _in your stomach. You want me to just tell you to suck it up and be a man? That seems kind of harsh, don't you think?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I don't need you people to treat me like an invalid. It's sickening."

"So you're a masochist," I said matter-of-factly. "You'd rather have people be rude to you."

"A masochist? What? No!"

"Well I must be a sadist then, because I keep being nice to you when you derive your sick pleasure from being trampled on instead. I'm denying you happiness."

He pushed the hair away from his eyes and squinted at me. "What the heck are you saying?"

"So you _do _like it when people are nice to you?"

His face contorted into a pained expression of confusion and irritation. "Just... stop talking. Yes, whatever. I'm going to take a shower now." He started up the stairs and glanced backward one time. "Uh, thanks. Gill."

Then he was gone.

The second we heard the door slam shut, Luke busted up laughing. I started laughing too. Chase didn't seem like such a jerk once I stopped letting him intimidate me. He was actually awkward sometimes, just like me. He was funny and quick-witted. Maybe that's why I liked being around him. He always made me laugh, even when he wasn't necessarily trying to.

I noticed Gill's eyes on me. He was looking at me curiously with his mouth tugged into a small smile and his eyebrows raised. Then he put his head down and smiled at the floor, like he was thoroughly amused with something. I asked what he was thinking. He just shook his head and left me wondering.

* * *

><p><em>AN: I'm not gonna lie... I've had this chapter typed up for a long time now. Like, a SERIOUSLY long time. Same with chapters fifteen through eighteen. Why don't I just post them all? Because, dear readers, posting freaks me out. Although I sincerely appreciate all your reviews and favs, I still think this story needs some work. :/ As of now, I've realized that Caught Clueless has an excessive amount of dialogue and the chapters are paced really slowly and Angela is seriously passive and I'm basically just sliding by on my random lines of wit and flowery description. lol Nonetheless, I'm absolutely thrilled that people are enjoying the crazy stuff that goes on in my imagination! :)_

_I don't know if I'll be able to post the next chapter extremely soon... I've got to write a oneshot for the Dares Forum and get my NaNoWriMo stuff in order. :) Is anyone else doing NaNoWriMo? PM me if you are!_

_Thanks for the reviews! You're all deeply appreciated :)_

_~ Violet _


	15. The Laughable Suspicion

When I woke in the morning, I crawled out of my old bed and stepped into the dark hallway. I half-expected to find Roscoe waiting outside my door with his nose sniffing at the crack and tail thumping against the wall, but I was met only with disappointment. After I brushed my hair and teeth all with my eyes closed, I stumbled down the stairs and discovered that no one else was up yet. I tried to walk through the living room as quietly as possible.

The lights of the kitchen flashed on and practically blinded me when I flipped the switch. I blinked and squinted into the brightness. My plan was to make breakfast for everyone, just because I was in a particularly good mood.

The refrigerator gave me goose bumps as soon as I opened it. I let my eyes glaze over in search of the egg carton. My parents' refrigerator had such weird organization. I mean, seriously? Who kept butter in the vegetable drawer? My mom, apparently.

I glanced at the clock. Seven forty. It wasn't too early to get started on breakfast, was it? My decision was no, and I opened numerous cupboards to find a frying pan. When I finally did, the metal was cold and much heavier than expected. The handle slipped from my grasp and the frying pan narrowly missed smashing my foot, resounding with a loud clang. I cringed and held my breath.

Nothing happened. No one came into the kitchen. I let out my breath and continued gathering ingredients for an omelet and laying them out on the counter. After I cracked an egg into a bowl, I stopped. _How do I even make an omelet? _Making up recipes seemed to be something I did often. I never remembered anything more complicated than the instructions for ramen noodles.

"Omelet?"

I dropped the fork I was holding with a start at the sound of Chase's voice. He leaned against the doorframe, clad in a fresh, white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Last night, he was starting to complain of a stinging sensation in his stomach, so he took some pain medication and was asleep by seven. Now there was even a funny little line across his cheek where his face had been smashed against the pillow. The bruises and cuts were still there, but there was something entirely fascinating and endearing about the way he was looking at me, as if nothing had happened at all.

"Sorry if I woke you up," I said. "And yeah, I'm making an omelet. Or _trying_ to." A nervous laugh fell from my lips. He probably thought I couldn't do anything by myself.

A familiar sarcastic smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and I felt myself relax. "I was already awake. Mind if I help? You look like you don't know what you're doing. What's with the fork?"

I stooped down to pick up the fork and put it in the sink. "I don't remember. Yeah, you can help. You can do the whole thing if you want. Omelets are way more complicated than ramen noodles."

Chase scrunched up his nose. "Ramen noodles? You mean from the package? That's disturbing."

I laughed as he walked into the kitchen and turned on the stove.

"It helps if the stove is actually on. Otherwise, you'll end up cooking like Maya does," he said.

"Duh! I just hadn't gotten to that part yet."

He raised his eyebrow at me. "Getting sassy, are we?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You rolled your eyes."

"I did not!"

I tried pouting but couldn't suppress my smile when he laughed. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the bar, and watched him crack eggs in a bowl. As each second went by, he relied more heavily on the counter for support until he was nearly doubled over. I wanted to tell him to sit down and just let me butcher the omelet but decided against it.

"Your mom is funny," he mused, casting a glance in my direction. "Last night she gave me the grand tour of the upstairs. Too bad I can only remember half of it. I actually felt bad because she was being really nice, and I was probably just coming off as intoxicated."

I watched my smiling reflection in the tiles on the countertop. "I think you technically were. Being drugged is nearly the same as being intoxicated. Don't worry about it, though. She was being a little overenthusiastic anyway."

"I'll say." He turned around and gave me a wild, surprised look. "She hugged me. I don't even know the woman for twelve hours and we're already hugging?"

I laughed amid a twinge of disappointment. My own mother had beaten me to it. I shook my head and smiled at the thought. "Is that bad? Do you not like hugs?"

Chase resumed frying the omelet. "The only hugging I've received comes in the form of surprise tackling from Maya, and usually while I'm holding sharp objects or pots of boiling water. What do you like in your omelet?"

"Surprise me." I pushed a chair out with my foot and sat down at the bar. He obviously didn't need my help. "You've never been hugged?"

"Yes, Angela, _never_. I was a feral child." He rolled his eyes. "Of course I've been hugged. When I was younger, I was so adorable that _everyone _wanted to hug me." He slid a steaming hot plate of omelet in front of me with a smirk and began working on the next. "But other than the tackling, not exactly. I don't mind, though. Hugging is a lot of close physical contact and emotions and whatever. Not really my thing."

"That's understandable, coming from you." I cut a small piece off and stabbed it with my fork. "Hey, could you hand me a napkin? I think there's one over there." I pointed to the counter behind him, but there weren't any.

He opened a few random cabinets to check for more napkins. "Oh, they're up here. Sheesh, who keeps extra napkins way up there?"

I glanced up to see the bag of napkins on the top shelf. "Ha, I don't know. My parents, I guess."

He just continued to stand there. "I'm out of commission for that kind of reaching. Mind getting them yourself?"

"You seem to be in a strangely good mood." I walked over to the cabinet. "You're actually still supposed to be in the hospital. You know that, right? Maybe you should take it easy today."

"I'm fine."

I bit my lip and reached up to get the napkins. I wasn't short, but the cabinet was abnormally high. Chase laughed as I sighed and dragged over a chair to stand on. Just when I was about to grab the bag, I heard a bang from the other side of the room and jumped, dropping the bag into the frying pan directly below me. Thankfully, Chase had just taken out the second omelet.

I snapped my head around to see Gill looking at us with wide eyes. He had come in from outside and the back door was what made the banging sound.

He adjusted his collar. "Sorry. I didn't know you'd be awake yet."

Chase slid another plate onto the table and pointed to it, indicating that it was for Gill. "Ten points for me, then."

"You seem a little less misanthropic today. Welcome to humanity." Gill gave a half-smile and sat down at the bar. Then he frowned. "Wait, what?"

"You remind me of a politician sometimes. And it's my duty to deprive the autocratic of their self-perceived power of knowledge at every possible opportunity." Chase raised his brow. "Hence, I get ten points."

I laughed. "And here we have 'Chase Logic' at its finest."

"Where do you come up with these ideas?" Gill asked with a facial expression and tone that could have easily doubled for the question, "They let you out of the padded cell?"

Chase shook his head. "I can't give away my secrets."

"Gill, what were you doing just now?" I asked. "Outside all alone at seven-fifty in the morning? Were you... oh, goodness... Were you smoking?"

At that second, Chase spun around from the stove and let out a laugh that sounded more like a burst of air escaping a balloon than anything else. His reaction was even more hilarious than Gill's horrified expression, aimed either at my accusation or at Chase's laugh. He looked utterly shocked, until listening to Chase broke him, and he finally cracked a smile and laughed himself.

"Thanks," Gill said, shaking his head and smiling. "Thanks a lot, Chase. I was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with you. I haven't heard_ that _in a long time."

"Heard what?"

He nodded toward Chase, who put his arm out on the counter and bent over. His shoulders shook with laughter. Then I knew what Gill was talking about. Some people snort, some people sound like a screeching dolphin, but Chase's laugh was characterized by short bursts of intermittent gasping and feeble coughing. Never had I heard a laugh like that, and it was hilarious. If I had thought that I'd heard Chase's real laugh before, I was completely wrong.

"Don't you think that's funny? _You _with a cigarette? Angela, that is the funniest thing you've ever said."

He looked at me through strands of his disheveled hair and covered part of his mouth with a closed fist. I couldn't tear my gaze away from his smile. It was real and young and genuine. It was exactly like the freckled boy's. Somehow, he hadn't lost it. After all this time, that boy was still in there somewhere, the boy who smiled at me. I needed to find out why. But I couldn't. Not yet.

"Seriously," Gill started exasperatedly, "it wasn't _that _funny. No, Angela, I do not smoke."

Chase finally stopped laughing enough to resume his position at the stove.

I stepped off the chair and took my bag of napkins out of the frying pan. "Well, okay. But why were you outside? Did you go somewhere?"

Gill took practically five minutes to chew and swallow one bite of omelet before he answered me. "You should really consider a career in interrogation. Yeah, I was outside. I left something in the car and I was just getting it."

"What is it? Can I see?"

"Here." He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket that had been folded perfectly. "It was from the hospital and I was supposed to give it to Chase, but I must have forgotten."

I grabbed the paper greedily and opened it up. It was just a bunch of numbers and terms that made no sense. "What is this?"

There was suddenly a quick succession of light flashes across Gill's face. He blinked and swatted blindly at the air. "What the...?"

I turned around and saw Chase standing next to an open drawer, with a flashlight in hand and a deadpan expression, shining the light directly into Gill's face. Gill was still trying to escape the bright beam of light while I giggled at them both.

"Chase, goddess, shut that off! Are you _five_?"

He blinked and smiled as he clicked off the flashlight and dropped it back in the drawer. "I take it you've never seen a cop show."

"Seriously, people, what is this?" I held up the piece of paper and waved it around dramatically. "It's highly suspicious!"

"Results of a blood test," Gill said slowly and loudly, as if he had said it at least a dozen times already.

Chase had a little pile of omelets on a plate that he brought over to the table. "And you just remembered this at eight in the morning?"

"I've been up for a while." He held his hand out to me but looked at Chase. "I can put that in a folder for you so it doesn't get lost."

"Whatever."

I scanned over the medical terms. It was like looking at a foreign language. "Hospitals don't give you printouts of your blood test results, do they?"

"They do if the results need to be transferred to your doctor on an island without internet."

Without another word, I handed the paper over. "Nothing criminal about that."

"No cigarette addictions either," Chase added with a grin.

Gill stared blankly at him and shook his head in disapproval. "You have a weird sense of humor."

"At least I have one."

I laughed. "Ooh burn!"

They looked at me simultaneously and Chase quirked an eyebrow. "How old are you?"

A blush of embarrassment spread across my face. "Nineteen."

To my surprise, instead of ridiculing me for my lame lingo slip-up, he pushed the plate of omelets toward me and almost smiled. "Nineteen, huh?"

I nodded and finished eating my delicious breakfast. He cooked it much better than I would have. My parents came down after a while, and by the looks of it, they had been up and probably listening to us the entire time.

"Where's Luke? He never seems to be around," I noted.

Chase shrugged. "Still sleeping, I guess. If I burned as much energy as him, I'd still be sleeping too."

"When do you guys have to go back?" my mom asked, sending me a not-so-subtle smile. I didn't even ask about what that meant.

"In a few days," Gill said. "That's the soonest another boat is leaving."

"Oh, so soon? You just got here."

"Well yeah, I have animals and crops that need my personal attention. Chase has to go back to work and..." I glanced at Gill. "To be honest, I don't know what you actually do."

His half-lidded eyes met mine in an indignant expression. "It's very complicated and difficult to explain."

"I want to know."

"You think my father alone keeps the town in working order? I respect him deeply, but his job mainly involves standing behind the counter at the Town Hall, selling property, and showing up for all the festivals. Everything else involved in running a town, like bookkeeping and the entire business aspect, is made possible by me."

"That can't be completely true. What did he do before you were old enough to handle that stuff?"

The room fell into momentary silence. Gill set his fork down. "He had my mother. She was good at keeping things organized."

A silence engulfed the room that turned awkward after a few minutes. Chase had already done the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. He was now leaning against the counter, trying to stifle a yawn, and my parents were looking at the newspaper before they headed off to work at eight thirty.

"Hello!" Luke exclaimed from the stairs. "Chase, man, you made breakfast? Nice!"

He pulled a chair out next to me and plopped down, grabbing a knife and fork in each fist.

"Breakfast _was _warm," Chase said as he pushed a plate of omelet in front of him.

"Um, Luke," I began after a long moment of silence, "have you been avoiding me?"

Chase and Gill exchanged a glance and left the room. Luke looked at me incredulously once they were gone. "What?"

"Ever since we got on the boat, you seem to be avoiding me at all costs. What were you doing that whole time on the boat? And the other night, where were you? We were at the hospital forever, and I at least expected you to come find us."

My parents slipped out of the kitchen.

"I haven't been avoiding you," he said. "I promise. In fact, I want to take you out today. Let's go somewhere."

"Really?" I tried my hardest to believe him. Luke would never lie to me, would he? I just couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something.

Luke nodded. "Absolutely."

"So you haven't been avoiding me? Not at all?"

"No, why would I do that?" He smiled and shook his head. "Tell you what, since you're acting so suspicious, if I get to take you out today, you can ask me anything you want. I'll be completely honest."

"Like what?"

"Hmm, good question." Luke grinned. "Like maybe why I've been avoiding you...?"

"You just said you weren't!"

"I know, I'm kidding," he said. "So what do you say? Want to hang out later?"

I smiled. "Sure. And then you can prove it."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Okay, wow, I promise after chapter... um... this one. After this chapter, things start to pick up. Sort of. And by "pick up", I mean they'll actually leave the house. Hahaha. Thanks so much for the reviews! I love you all. :)_

_Luke disappeared for a while again... -_- I love Luke. I really do. He deserves more story time. Heads up - he's in the next chapter. As in, the next chapter is all about him. So yay! I'm excited!_

_NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month - let me know if you're doing it. I'm so excited for this November! AH I'M JUST A BUNDLE OF EXCITEMENT, AREN'T I?_

_Review please? Thanks! And if I don't reply to your review, I'm so sorry. I really wish I had time to reply to each person to express my thanks! Just know that I really appreciate everyone who reads Caught Clueless. :)_

_~ Violet_


	16. The 100th Red Balloon

For my outing with Luke, I decided on the park near my parents' house. After I navigated us there, I pretended that he was the one who was taking me out instead of the other way around. It was warm outside but not too unbearably hot yet. We walked along the cobblestone path in relative silence for a while. Then I spotted a payphone and tried long-distance calling to Castanet Island. I wasn't sure if it would work, but the operator actually managed to connect me.

It rang several times before a familiar country twang answered. "Hello? Sorry but the Brass Bar isn't open yet."

"Kathy?" I asked, smiling.

"Angela? Where are you? Still in the city? Did you and Chase kill each other yet?"

I laughed. "Yeah, I'm in the city, and no, he's actually been pretty bearable."

There was silence on the other end. After a moment, she laughed. "I gotcha. He's standing right there listening, isn't he? Ah, well. How is everything going? It's crazy here. Luke went missing."

"Luke's not missing," I said quickly. "He's right here. He fell asleep on the boat when he was repairing something on it, and nobody kicked him off. So he just came with us."

She repeated my message to someone on the other end, and I heard laughter. "That's such a relief! He's crazy, though, huh? Dale was flipping out. Well, you know, as flipped out as Dale can get. I'll let everyone know you're doing okay. You said you were okay, right? Do I need to come over there and knock some sense into Chase?"

Sometimes I was certain she could carry a conversation with herself. "Actually," I started then paused. For some reason, I wasn't sure if I should tell her about what happened. She would just tell everyone else, and I didn't know if Chase would like that. "Yeah, we're all good. How's Hamilton running things?"

"Angela!" she gasped. "Suddenly into the mayor, are we?"

"That's disgusting! I just meant how is he doing without Gill?"

"I don't know. I guess I haven't really seen Gill around, but, um, what do you mean?"

It took me less than a second to realize that she didn't know Gill had gone to the city also. I thought back to when I arrived at the dock and he had looked surprised to see me. Probably, the only person who knew on the island was his father. It really made me wonder why he didn't tell anyone, and why he didn't even want me to know.

"You're so random, Angela. Gill isn't there in the city with you too, is he? Ha! That would be so crazy. I can't imagine you surrounded with guys, especially Chase _and _Gill. _And _Luke! How would you survive? I'll tell you, if it was me, one of them would end up with broken-"

"Hey Kathy, not to be rude, but I'm paying for this call. But yeah, you're right. I don't know how I'd manage."

"Oh, sorry. Tell 'em I said hi and tell Chase that he needs to get back here soon. People keep asking why the food doesn't taste as good as it usually does. But don't tell him that part, though."

We said our goodbyes and hung up. My mind was dwelling heavily on the fact that Gill had tried to keep his "business" a secret. Why had he gone out to the car when he suspected everyone was asleep to get a paper from the hospital? Was it really Chase's blood test results? I doubted it.

"Was that Kathy?" Luke asked, approaching me from where he stood at a respectable distance.

I nodded and laughed. "She said everyone thought you went missing."

"Oh, shoot. Pops was probably flipping out. He worries about me a lot. I don't know why... he doesn't think I can handle myself, I guess."

"My parents think the same about me sometimes, even though I think I've proved I can be on my own. Don't worry, Luke. You're one of the most responsible people I know."

"Seriously?" The shocked expression on his face told me he didn't get that very often.

"Absolutely. You have a difficult job that you do successfully, and you helped me tons on my house."

"Thanks, Angela." Luke grinned at me. Then he stopped suddenly in front of a white-barked tree and ran his hand along the trunk. "What's this kind?"

"Birch," I said.

He smiled. I smiled back.

"Have anything to ask me yet?" he inquired.

I started walking again, and he followed after a moment. "Not yet. But don't worry. I certainly will."

"Can I ask you a question?" Luke glanced over at me as we followed the curve in the path.

I nodded.

"Why are you so determined to get Roscoe back?" he asked. He wasn't mocking or teasing. He genuinely wanted to know. So I gave him a genuine answer.

"When I was young, I didn't have many friends. I spent a lot of time at the library and home alone in my room. My parents both worked. I volunteered at the shelter sometimes, and one day this little scraggly dog was brought in. He was shunned by the other dogs. It was funny because he would just sit in the corner, watching them. Some people said there was something wrong with him, but I knew he was just like me. So I begged my parents to let me adopt him."

Luke looked thoughtful. "Why the name Roscoe?"

"That was his name when he came to the shelter. I didn't name him."

He nodded as he sidestepped a discarded pinwheel on the cobblestone. We both paused, looking down. I kneeled and saw it wasn't broken and had probably just fallen out of a toddler's grasp. It was striped: neon green and glittering silver. I picked it up and held it away from my body, waiting for the breeze to twirl the plastic curls. We started walking again.

"I have a question," I said. "On the boat when Gill and I started talking, you got up and left. What were you doing? Just walking around?"

Luke smiled and shook his head. It was a funny sort of self-deprecating smile that made me anxious to know what he was going to say. "Honestly... I'm not... as tough as you think. I mean, yeah, I'm pretty tough, but some things just get me."

I wanted to loop my arm with his, but instead I just held on to the pinwheel with both hands. "Yeah?"

"I get seasick," he said. "I was puking my guts out."

"That doesn't make you less tough. It's really no big deal, Luke. You could've told me. Then I wouldn't have been wondering."

He shrugged. "That's kind of embarrassing, don't you think?"

I reached my hand up to touch his arm, but he moved away, not realizing what I was doing. He was pointing across the path. I followed his gaze and smiled. Then I grabbed his arm and let him lead me across the grass to a sad looking little girl.

She sniffled when she saw us. Luke kneeled down, taking the pinwheel in his hands and holding it out to her. Her mother smiled. The little girl grabbed it and gave a gap-toothed grin. Then they continued down the path. She waved the pinwheel around as she walked.

Luke stood up again and glanced at me. "She looked like you in that one picture at your parents' house."

"She did," I agreed. It was odd how just looking at the color of his eyes made me feel safer and calm, pretty much the complete opposite of how Luke actually was – energetic and daring.

"So Angela, how are you gonna get Roscoe back?"

"I'm not sure anymore. I can't afford a boat ticket to Sunshine Islands, and I couldn't even leave my farm again anyway. I just got to Castanet and less than a month later I abandoned it? Some dedicated farmer I am."

He frowned at me. It looked misplaced on his face, and I felt bad for putting it there. "Angela, this is the most fun I've had in a long time."

"I'm having fun, too," I told him. "Well, sort of. It just hurts to know that the pain Chase is going through is because of me." And I wasn't just talking about his injuries.

"Something about that house, huh?"

I was so surprised I didn't know what to say. There was no way he could've known, so Luke must have been more observant than I guessed. I felt bad for underestimating him. He wasn't just funny; he was smart.

"Yeah, something about it," I said. "How did you know?"

"He's been acting different since you visited it. Like half here, half somewhere else. Missing something, maybe. I don't know." Luke suddenly stopped walking and turned to me. "Can you show me what a dollar looks like?"

I laughed, grateful for the change of subject. It would be nice to go one day without thinking about the mess I caused. "Sure," I said and pulled out my wallet. I grabbed a five dollar bill and handed it to him.

Luke took it in his hands and rubbed his fingers against the paper. He flashed a grin and just stared at me for several seconds.

"What are you-"

"Five dollars isn't a lot of money, is it?" he asked.

"Not really. Why do you want to-" I never got to finish my sentence because he took off running in the direction we just came from. My eyes widened in shock. Did he just steal my five dollars? I couldn't help but laugh at his ridiculousness. I stood there for a few moments trying to comprehend what just happened, and then I started sprinting after him.

"What are you doing? Wait up!" I shouted to him, though I'm sure he didn't hear me. I tried to keep my eyes locked on his flaming bandana as my feet pounded across a little stone bridge. He disappeared up ahead around a corner, and I pushed myself faster. When I reached the street, I stopped. He went into a busy marketplace. People and salesmen were everywhere.

"Luke! You'd better not get lost!" I shouted to no one in particular. My legs began carrying me through the crowd and I panicked. What if _I _got lost? What if someone tried to attack me again? Pushing those thoughts aside, I wandered through the marketplace in search of my impulsive friend. _What could he possibly be doing?_

After an entire ten minutes of searching without results, I made my way to a secluded bench overlooking a koi pond. It was peaceful, and I wondered why no one else was sitting there. It was the perfect distance away from the noise of the crowds.

I was pretty tired, after running around and yelling, and in addition to everything that happened in the past few days. I just wanted something to go right for once. As concerned as I was for Chase, being around him made me feel guilty and sad. It sounded terrible, but I was a bit glad to get away for an afternoon, even though Luke decided to steal my five dollars and disappear.

Sighing, I picked up a random stick and tossed it into the pond. All the koi scattered and twisted their bodies around in panic. I heard footsteps approaching and cringed. Just what I needed. Another crazy attacker.

As I lifted my head up, prepared for the worst, I was surprised to see Luke walking toward me, a red balloon bobbing up and down behind his back. He offered a warm smile.

"Did you use my five dollars to go to the carnival?"

He smiled bigger to reveal his nice, charmingly crooked teeth. His playful eyes crinkled from sheer happiness, and I wondered what he was so giddy about.

"What do you have there?" I pressed, motioning to the object he was trying unsuccessfully to conceal.

He slid into the open spot next to me on the bench while continuing to hide his hands behind his back. Finally, when he turned to face me, he told me to close my eyes. I smiled and complied. Whatever he was planning, it was certainly a surprise.

I felt something soft and fuzzy in my hands, and for a second I thought he had just given me a kitten. My eyes shot open, only to come face to face with a small stuffed giraffe. There was a red balloon attached to its neck and a prewritten card that said, "Keep looking up!"

Before I knew it, I started blushing and smiling. It wasn't exactly from his gift, but from the way he was watching me.

"Luke, this is…" I didn't quite know what to say. I felt touched that he had remembered my favorite color _and _my favorite animal, which I didn't even recall mentioning to him. "It's adorable!"

He frowned suddenly. "You think it's silly, huh? You've been hanging around Chase too much."

I was quick to dispel his unease as the butterflies in my stomach intensified. Then I realized that was the point. It didn't matter what the gift was, he just wanted me to feel happy. He was a really great guy.

"Thanks," I said quietly. He laughed and hung his arm over the back of the bench. I could feel his hand brush against my shoulder.

"Glad you like it! I hope you don't mind that I used your money to buy you a gift."

"No, but you could have told me where you were going instead of just taking off."

"Didn't you have fun chasing me? That was part of the plan, too." He grinned. I let myself relax and leaned back against his arm.

"Yes, I had a blast," I said. "Hey, Luke?"

He turned his head toward me and smiled. "Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Oh, right. That was part of the deal. Go ahead."

"What was your mom like?"

His gaze returned to the pond, and he laughed slightly as if he had his own inside joke. "Ah, my mom. She was great. A lot of fun. She was really energetic and optimistic. I try to be like her. It's hard sometimes, you know? But I like making people laugh and smile. That's how my mom was."

"She sounds really nice. I bet lots of people liked her." I looked at the giraffe in my hands. "You're doing a good job of being like her."

He shook his head, that same smile never leaving his face. "Nah, she was way better at it than me. Everybody liked her. I don't think everybody likes me."

"What do you mean?"

"Just take this trip for example," he said. "I've been annoying Chase and Gill since they stepped onto the boat."

"Well they're Chase and Gill. What do you expect from them?" I laughed.

He smiled in acknowledgment of my statement. "You want to know something weird? Gill's mom used to be really close with my mom. They did lots of stuff together. Then his mom got sick. We were all really young, and we had never seen anybody die before. Gill and I were sorta friends, but everything changed after that. For everybody. His dad would hardly let him go outside, and he spent all his time studying. You could really tell he wasn't the same anymore. Then other stuff started happening."

I listened while absently stroking the fur of my stuffed giraffe. "I wish that wouldn't have happened. I wonder how different he would be if his mom was still around."

He smiled. "Me too."

"So what happened after his mom died?"

"Well, let's see… I was around thirteen when that happened. So…" He narrowed his eyes in concentration. "Kathy's mom died that same year in a freak accident at the Moon Viewing Festival. Then my mom died the next year. Some people moved to the island, though, so it wasn't all bad, like Luna and Candace."

"The Moon Viewing Festival?" I had heard that Castanet celebrated festivals, but no one really ever told me about them. They sounded interesting.

He nodded. "Hey, Angela, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. I suppose you can have a turn."

"When we get back to Castanet, do you want to…" he trailed off and scratched the back of his neck nervously. I felt my pulse quicken. "Would you want to have lunch with me? I mean, if you don't want to, it's okay. It's just that I was thinking of asking you to the Firefly Festival, as friends, of course. I wanted to go with you so you wouldn't have had to go alone. The thing is, the Firefly Festival is tomorrow. We won't make it back in time, so maybe you'd have lunch with me instead?"

I turned away and involuntarily covered my mouth. "I'd love to! That sounds really fun."

He sighed in relief. "Awesome."

I laughed, feeling giddy. We lapsed into silence after that and just stared at the pond. It was getting darker outside. I knew we should head back to the house, but I didn't want the night to end. There was this nagging feeling in my chest, and I wished it would just go away. I kept thinking about Chase. And Gill. They had done so much for me, and I probably would have said yes to them too, if they had asked me. Luke was smiling at me, and I couldn't stop myself from smiling back.

"So… the Firefly Festival? That's tomorrow? What are we going to miss?"

"It's a festival in honor of our ancestors or something. Usually it's a romantic date thing. Chase really dodged a bullet, huh? At least, that's what he said." He laughed.

"Wait, what?"

"Oh." He stopped laughing immediately and cleared his throat. "I guess he didn't tell you?"

"No, what?"

"Well, Maya was gonna ask him to the Firefly Festival, and he didn't want to go with her. That's why he came to the city with you." He stopped and looked at me. He must've noticed my expression before I did. "Aw, Angela, I'm sorry. I thought you knew."

"No, it's okay." A lump formed in my throat as I tried to keep my face neutral. I couldn't help it. I was upset. I thought he came because he wanted to be with me. Not to get away from Maya. Was there truth to Kathy's accusation – that he was a selfish jerk? I shouldn't have been so foolish to deceive myself into thinking he might have actually liked me.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and suddenly, if just for a moment, didn't care that Chase was waiting at home.

"One more question, Luke." I folded my hands in my lap. "Tell me where you were. _Really_. On the night we were at the hospital."

Luke didn't say anything for a while. He got so quiet that I had to look over to make sure he was still there. "I waited for a long time in the room," he started. "But of _course_ I went to see what was going on. And I did. I saw everything. It's really hard to admit this, Angela."

"Just tell me."

Luke stood up, all full of energy, and faced the pond. "I don't know! I was right there, just about to meet up with you guys. And then Chase pushed you, and I didn't know what was happening. It was like I was frozen. And the guy had the knife. I thought... I saw all this blood... and I thought he killed him. You fainted or something, and after that I just heard people yelling. Gill was yelling at Chase because he wasn't moving or anything, and that guy just shoved him right into the wall. I thought he might've cracked his skull or something. I don't know, Angela. I'm sorry. I couldn't stand it. I had this crazy idea that you were all dead."

"Luke... you took off?"

Luke turned around and finally looked at me. He was so distraught; I knew every word that came out of his mouth was the truth. "I didn't want to. I was going to help you. But the guy... he noticed me. I saw his eyes, and man, they were insane. I just started running. Away. Anywhere but there. I felt so awful that I didn't try to help. I don't know why I didn't. I'm sorry."

His gaze on my face was unwavering. I gave a little smile to put him at ease, and his golden eyes softened. "In that moment," he said, "I ruined every chance I ever had with you. Didn't I?"

I shook my head, and my throat became so tight I almost couldn't breathe. Suddenly everything mattered, and contradictions swirled in my head. Chase pushed me out of the way, but now I knew the trip was just an excuse to get away from Maya. Gill held everyone together when we all could've fallen apart, but he was hiding something. And now there was Luke, watching us get hurt and feeling helpless to stop it. Worrying. Keeping his confliction to himself while I just thought he was avoiding me.

Luke's eyes widened. "I made you cry. This is why I didn't want to tell you! You're angry with me, aren't you?"

"No, Luke." I shook my head again, trying to get the words to come out. "I could never be mad at you for something like that. You should've seen me trying to tie that shirt around Chase's stomach. I was shaking so badly I almost tied my fingers into the knot. And Gill actually threw up."

Luke let out a short, quiet laugh. "No one should've gotten hurt. Especially not Chase."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know. He just seems like the kind of person who hasn't gotten a break." Luke pressed his lips together. "Oh."

"What is it?"

"Maybe his break is you. Maybe that's why he pushed you out of the way."

That took me by such surprise that I blurted, "Luke, no, he doesn't like me like that. He never did. I'm just an excuse."

"But you really care about him, don't you?" Luke sighed and finally sat down next to me. "Oh, goddess, I didn't want to tell you like this. And now Chase... I don't know what to say. I can't force you to go out with me. I can't even _let_ you go out with me if you wanted to because I know how much you care about him. I'll just ask for one date. Is that too selfish? Our lunch plans from before?"

"No," I said. I wanted to say more, but the words caught in my throat.

"Awesome! I was kind of worried there." He smiled. That smile was always on his face. I wondered what he thought about all the time that made him smile. "We'll have the best one-time date ever. I'm hoping Chase takes a while to come around." He chuckled after he said that.

"Luke, it's not going to happen with Chase. Anytime soon, anyway," I said. "But no matter what happens, we'll be friends. Even if I end up as a crazy old cat lady."

He laughed. "Okay. But if it gets that far, I'll stop you after the fifth cat."

* * *

><p>When I walked into the living room after having just come home from my outing at the park, I would have probably burst into laughter had I not been so conflicted about my feelings.<p>

Gill and Chase were sitting on opposite ends of the couch. A pile of books sat between them. Chase was flipping through one of my mom's casserole cookbooks and had a small stack on his lap. Gill was reading a lengthy novel, probably from my dad's collection, with his head propped up and partially covered by his arm. It took me a minute to realize he was asleep. I knew the only reason he was keeping Chase company was because he felt an obligation. That obligation probably wasn't even to Chase. It was to me. Or to himself. To prove that he did care about people.

I turned to Luke, who still wore a hint of a smile from our park outing, and summoned up the courage to enter the room.

Out of irritation, I stalked over to the television and pushed the power button with my index finger. The picture faded out to black, and I sunk into an armchair near the couch.

"Hey," Chase said suddenly, looking hurt. "That was Gill's favorite show. We hadn't consulted the map yet."

I didn't say anything.

Luke must have sensed my tense mood, and he went to go find himself a snack in the kitchen; so I was left in the living room, almost alone with Chase. He kept glancing up at me, but I remained silent. The words were eating at me, just begging to be yelled at him. Did he deserve it? I bit my lip and glanced at the door to the kitchen. Did it matter?

He _did _save my life. But he probably wouldn't have let anybody die, no matter who they were, and no matter how much Kathy's statement rang true. But he used me. Maybe I had been giving him too much credit.

Chase placed the casserole book on the table next to him and grabbed another one at random. He caught my eye and raised his eyebrow.

"Why are you even here?" I demanded. That didn't come out exactly how I intended.

He looked confused. "Uh. Well, about twenty-three years ago, my parents must have really liked each other and-"

"Stop it. I'm serious."

"So am I."

"Is it true? The only reason you came was to escape a date with Maya? You didn't even want to come."

He just blinked at me without uttering a word. Signs of recognition pulled at his features and his mouth opened slightly, ready to provide a defense.

"Just say it. You used me and this trip as an excuse." I lowered my fiery gaze to the floor, clenching my fists. The feeling of foolishness and embarrassment gnawed holes in my stomach and brought a blush to my cheeks. His lack of response just validated my accusations.

"Angela, you've got to be kidding. Did you actually think I'd _want _to come to the city? But I came anyway, isn't that what matters?" His words gained momentum, and that could only mean the force of the blow was going to hurt. A lot. "Was saving your life not enough? Did you want something more?"

Gill gave him a sharp look. It was obvious he had been trying to feign sleep to defuse the inevitable awkwardness, but now it didn't seem to make a difference.

"Of course not! What are you saying?" I tried to see his side of it. But somehow the argument got shifted, and I had no idea what point he was trying to make. How did _I_ do anything wrong? _He_ was the one who used _me_.

"I don't know what I have to do for you," Chase said, sounding slightly calmer than before. "After everything that's happened, you only care about my reason for coming in the first place? Well, it's different now. I thought you knew that."

"I said I was sorry, Chase. I don't know what you mean."

He shook his head. "I don't care if you're sorry. In fact, I couldn't care less if you _weren't _sorry. I wanted to do it. You don't get that? But now that you mention it, a 'thank you' would have been nice."

"Thanks," I answered too quickly and too curtly. It came out sounding more sarcastic than I meant it to. I instantly wanted to pull the words out of the air and reform them. But it was too late.

The rage could practically be seen boiling inside him. His eyes fell closed to no more than angry slits, and his jaw minutely shifted back and forth, irritation grinding at his teeth.

"Thanks?" he repeated in a tone strangled with frustration and disbelief. "You know what? If it matters that much, I'll just leave."

Gill turned his head sharply to the right, as if he could put himself in the other room. My eyes felt the sting of his words before I did.

"I just thought..." A hot tear taunted its release. "I thought you came because you liked me."

"You're being ridiculous, Angela. I can't believe you would even say that right now."

"Stop." Gill's icy blue gaze and equally icy tone pierced the tension. "Seriously, shut up. Do you hear yourselves?"

I wiped at my face in an attempt to remove any tears that spilled out and cool down my feverish anger. Chase let his head fall into his hands as he raked his fingers through tangled strands of hair. He looked as frustrated as I felt. It seemed to me that all sense of logic and empathy fled his mind as soon as the first spark of confrontation ignited.

Then I realized that he hadn't expected the argument to break out as I had. The sarcastic _thanks _played on loops in my mind. That was a horrible thing to say. My wall of defense crumbled. Just what I had hoped to avoid – hurt him more – I had done.

"Sorry," I murmured, willing strength into my heavy voice. "I'm sorry, Chase. It doesn't matter. I overreacted."

He just stood up and made his way to the front door.

"Obviously _nothing _matters to you," he retorted as he yanked the front door open. I glanced over at the kitchen again and imagined Luke pressed against the wood, listening to us. I wondered what he was thinking about all this.

No one stopped Chase from leaving. Long after the door slammed shut, I stayed silent. Luke came back into the living room, but I couldn't look at him.

_Thanks. _Chase saved my life and that was how I showed my appreciation.

That night, I lay awake listening for the front door. I stared at the blackness of the room until I could just make out the form of my dresser. I didn't know how long I was awake. But I never heard the door. Sometime after I had given up on hearing any sign of his return, I fell asleep. The next thing I was aware of was a noise outside my door. Just footsteps. Someone was walking down the hallway. Then I heard the floor creak in the room next to mine.

I wanted to go over and apologize. He hardly knew me when I asked him to come with me. I shouldn't have expected so much. The longer I thought about what I wanted to say, the more vividly his face appeared in my mind, until I was pulled under by sleep and into a dream. In my dream, I was lost. Luke was helping me find my way. In the end, I found Chase, but I was angry with him. That's when everything made sense.

Luke had asked me to go on a date with him. Chase didn't. I was angry, not because he used me, but because he hadn't asked me first.

* * *

><p><em>AN: NEWS! I will do this author's note in list format because it's easier to read and quite frankly I feel like making a list._

_1. I'm sorry (as always) for my slow updates. I won't even give you an excuse (even though I have a dozen). I don't intentionally update slowly. Life just gets in the way sometimes. I really try to keep up as best as I can! And I'm so sorry if I don't respond to your review. It doesn't mean I don't appreciate it because, honestly, every single review makes me smile. :)_

_2. I've been posting this story on deviantart as well, so if you have an account, you can check it out there._

_3. I've started compiling a playlist for Caught Clueless. I listen to lots of songs while writing and sometimes I just hear a song that fits perfectly with something that happened in the story. If you have any songs to suggest for the playlist (which I will post at the end of the story), tell me!_

_4. I love each and every review. So much. I wouldn't be half as motivated or happy as I am now without you guys! 163 reviews are amazing and more than I ever imagined. :'D_

_5. I'll try to speed up the pace of the story just a bit so no one dies of boredom._

_6. Anyone heard the song 99 Red Balloons? Well the red balloon Luke brought Angela must be the hundredth. :'D_

_7. Annnnd that's it!_

_8. Oh, apparently the past tense of "lie" is "lay." Except if someone lied, as in they didn't tell the truth. But if they were... reclining (?) then it would be lay. Weird. I was skeptical, too. But Google says it's right. :P_

_~ Violet_


	17. The Plan

I sat up all night, puzzling over what I did wrong. I did _something _wrong, otherwise I wouldn't have been feeling like this. Confused. Ashamed. Hurt. Guilty.

It all came down to one thing: I screwed up. I didn't say half of the things I wanted to say to Luke, and I nearly killed myself with shame after what I said to Chase. So I decided I would fix it. I had to fix it. I was sick of feeling helpless and messing everything up.

It was almost too overwhelming when I remembered that I still needed to figure out what Chase was longing for, what he had those nightmares about. One step at a time... Just fix it one step at a time, starting with a note. I began simple:

_Chase,_

_This is my fault. Let me fix it please. _

Deep breath.

_You saved my life. It must have hurt when I doubted you. I'm an idiot. And I was wrong – you don't have to admit anything. You already did when you risked your life. I'll stay waiting until you forgive me. I always ask too much of you, but I need this._

_Angela_

I folded the note in half and let my fingers play with the edge of the paper as I decided what to mend next.

Luke.

I owed him more than what I gave him yesterday. My thoughts swirled and danced madly, as if they were dead set on evading capture. Finally, after a round of chasing them down and penning them to paper, I had another note:

_Luke,_

_I'm sorry I couldn't say what I wanted to yesterday. Even though all I said was no, I meant to tell you that I would be honored to go on a date with you. I was confused and didn't know what I wanted. Not that I do any better now. I just know that you never fail to put a smile on my face and you brighten up my days. One time for a date is certainly not selfish, and maybe there will be more in the future. _

_To be honest, I might have been mad at you. Not for what happened, but what you said about me and Chase. I felt like you gave me up before you even had me. But now I know you were just doing what you thought was right._

_And I love that about you. I think you've already written me off in your mind, but you're one of my best friends. I still need you to light up my days._

_Angela_

After a sigh of quiet determination, I snuck out of my room and down the hall to the next door. It was slightly open. Being as quiet as possible, I pushed it open a little wider and stepped inside. I waited for a moment. Little bands of light seeped in through the blinds and cast bars of shadows across the bed. I tried to not look at Chase longer than to make sure he was asleep. The sound of his serene, cadenced breathing was enough to make me weak; I wanted to fall to my knees and listen to the steady rhythm forever. I hadn't realized how beautiful it was. How close I had come to losing him.

I crossed the floor silently and placed the note on the nightstand. My hand lingered on the paper. Would he think it was stupid?

Stupid or not, everything I wrote was true. I remembered when he had left a note in my house. Maybe he would understand the meaning behind the gesture, if not the words written on the paper.

I left the room, pulling the door shut behind me. Then I went across the hall to Luke's door. It was already closed, so I kneeled on the ground. I folded the paper in half once, drawing a smiley face on the inside flap, and then I folded it in half again and wrote his name on the outside in curvy letters. Just like how I used to do in middle school with my best friend Erin. I slid the note under the crack of the door. Luke was the perfect friend, and I hoped I could be the same to him.

When I went downstairs, I tried to be silent, but stealth was never my strongest point. Just as I grabbed the car keys, I heard a muffled groan from the couch.

Gill turned over and covered his face with his arm. His voice was heavy. "Chase," he growled. "What now? Just go to bed."

"Sorry, it's Angela. Chase is asleep."

"Oh," he said. He removed his arm from over his eyes and looked at me. "What're you doing?"

"Trying to fix everything that I screwed up," I whispered. "Sorry I woke you. But now that you're awake, can I tell you something?"

"You came down here in the middle of the night to tell me something? Is it serious?" Gill pushed the blanket back and sat up.

"It's morning, actually." I smiled. "I just wanted to thank you. For everything."

He sighed and rubbed his hand across his face. It was fairly dark inside, but when he moved his hair, I saw a bruise under his fingertips. "You don't have to thank me," he said. Then after a moment, he added, "Actually, I'm glad you did."

"How's your head?"

"It's fine enough." Gill rubbed his forehead again. "It hurts. I'm just waiting for the migraine. I haven't slept in days. If I remember right, you woke me up every _hour _the other night, didn't you?"

"You had a concussion, Gill. You're fortunate I let you sleep at all."

"Yeah," he agreed. His voice was just above a whisper, soft and low. "I guess we're all fortunate that we have other people looking out for us."

Air flooded into my lungs with a sudden, silent gasp. He was right, as always. We had to look out for each other without thinking what we might lose in the process. So far, we'd done it without knowing. Because somewhere along the way, each of us figured out that's what we had to do. We had to find our own reasons to keep living.

"You and Chase," I whispered, my inner excitement concealed by the darkness. "He saved my life. But I think you're the one who reminded me how to live."

Gill's mouth lifted into a lopsided smile. There was a long silence. Then he asked, "Are you going somewhere?"

"The grocery store. I'll only be gone a few minutes."

"Okay," he said.

"Okay what?"

"I'll go with you."

* * *

><p>The grocery store had barely opened when we pulled into the parking lot. Gill just followed me silently like a shadow as I walked into the store and made my way to the far aisle. I knew exactly what I wanted. After gathering some items to make a nice breakfast, I grabbed a twelve pack Pepsi off the shelf in the soda aisle. On my way to the checkout, I passed the produce section and threw in a few oranges and a bunch of bananas.<p>

I held up a tomato. "Want one?"

Gill blinked at me. I dropped the tomato into the basket and started walking to the checkout without waiting for a response.

Back at home, I placed the oranges and bananas in a bowl and set it on the table. Then I went outside and gathered some lavender and hydrangeas from the backyard. I arranged it in a vase and tied my red balloon around it. By this time, it was seven thirty.

Twenty minutes later the table was arranged with a heaping stack of pancakes, maple syrup, butter, fresh oranges and bananas, and hot coffee, all around a vase filled with lavender and hydrangeas. A single red balloon hovered over the array of food. I was proud of my work. Now I hoped with all my heart that Chase could see how hard I tried too.

I walked into the living room and motioned for Gill to come in the kitchen. He had papers spread over the coffee table, and he was leaning over them with a scrutinizing expression. They were governmental forms that apparently pertained to the farmer's market he was talking about the other day.

When Gill went into the kitchen, he stopped and turned to me with a smile. "Looks good."

The way he said that, the satisfaction in his tone, made me realize something. "You think he was right, don't you?" I asked. If he thought Chase was at fault, he would've objected to my efforts. But he didn't. He thought I was doing the right thing.

"No," Gill said. He rested his elbow against the back of the dining chair and gave a sigh of resignation. The sigh probably meant he was going to talk about Chase again when he didn't want to. "Look, I don't know. He's done a lot of stupid things. You haven't seen them, but if you think about it, someone like him... talented at what he does... he could be anywhere right now. Working in a world-class restaurant among top-rated chefs. But he's not. That's because he screwed up a few times." Gill shook his head. "But this time..." He sighed again. "Yes. I think he was right. I think he did something good for once and you jumped to conclusions."

I watched him sit down and grab a plate. For a few seconds, I couldn't move, couldn't think. Everything he said was right. I needed so badly for Chase to forgive me. I needed it so much that my chest hurt and I thought I was going to explode.

* * *

><p>When I approached Chase's door, I felt an odd rush of panic. It was almost like we were meeting each other for the first time all over again. I knocked lightly. After a moment, there was a muffled noise that sounded vaguely like assent so I entered.<p>

Chase didn't open his eyes when I walked into the bedroom. He was lying perfectly still with one hand pressed against his forehead.

I glanced at the nightstand to see if my note was still there. It wasn't.

"What are you doing?" I asked. Then I mentally smacked myself. What did it look like he was doing?

"Oh, you know," he said, turning his head toward me. "Waiting for room service. I called nearly half an hour ago... help is so slow these days." He moved his hand – the one that was resting over his stomach – and I saw my note under it.

There was more silence. He wasn't saying anything, and I was getting frustrated. "I meant everything I wrote," I blurted. My voice didn't come out as strong as I thought it would.

Chase's fingers tightened around the paper. He finally opened his eyes and looked at me. There was no doubt; his eyes were lacking their usual brightness. But something in his expression was playful and resigned. "Come over here."

I swallowed hard and walked to his bedside. Chase just looked at me as though he was waiting for something. Then he pushed all the hair back from his forehead and laughed under his breath. "Tell me, how many times have I been lying on the ground, in bed, wherever, and you're just standing over me, looking like you're about to cry? Since when did this become a common occurrence?"

"I... um, I don't know. Is this the third? I don't like this trend. I'm sorry," I said.

He narrowed his eyes at the ceiling. "All I have to do is stand up. So it's okay. My fault, really. I must be lazy or something."

"Or tired?"

Chase huffed lightly and rolled his eyes. He pushed himself up and sat on the edge of the bed. "Not any more than usual."

He looked at me again – and I'd never been sure of what he was thinking – but this time I hadn't the slightest clue if he was upset with me or not.

"I'm sorry, Chase. I'm sorry for everything. I can't _tell_ you how sorry I am. And I can never thank you enough for what you've done for me." I realized that I had started pacing. His expression was intense; his gaze burned my face and brought a rush of blood to my cheeks.

"Chase..." I dropped my hands to my sides in defeat. His eyes were pressing me for an explanation. "Yesterday Luke took me to the park and bought me a red balloon. Did you know that's my favorite color?"

Chase's forehead was scrunched up, almost like an apology. He shook his head.

"That made me really happy. I don't know why I got mad at you when I came home. Well, I do actually have a reason. It's not a good one, though."

His face was once again smoothed into a blank expression. His eyes were following me as I fidgeted and paced, unable to stay in one spot. I wondered what his eyes must have looked like when he found out his home was burning down. Whatever I hoped to say just now was lost. Every time I looked at him, I realized how impossible it was to fix everything.

The plain old truth was this: I watched Chase's house burn down. And I could've stopped it. Standing there in front of him, I felt like a fool. A loser. A liar. I ruined his life and he saved mine. There was no way I could admit to that. There would always be a canyon between us. We could reach across but never be on the same side.

"I think I got mad because after all this, I don't know if you actually _do _know what my favorite color is. I don't know why Luke was telling me that he liked me. I don't know what I ever did for him. Why should he like me? Why would he want me to be happy when I hurt everyone so much?" My eyes stung with tears. But I didn't want to cry. I was sick of crying.

"Angela." The unmistakable tone of imploration surged into his voice. "I don't remember exactly, but you didn't take a knife to my stomach, right? No, you didn't. And your favorite color? It's red." He attempted a smile, apparently thought better of it, and just stared at me.

I didn't say anything. The silence stretched on for a few seconds until my emotions got the better of me and I broke it. "Don't be a jerk about this, Chase. I told you exactly how I felt." I choked on the words when I added, "And how sorry I am."

"I know," he said earnestly. "If you had come closer when I asked you to, I would've shown you how to give a hug."

I suddenly realized how far away I was standing – a safe distance so I wouldn't mess up and be awkward again. That's why he kept looking at me.

"I don't know what I was hoping to accomplish by coming here to the city," he continued. "I'm sorry my reason wasn't for you. I didn't think you expected that from me. But I'm not really used to people expecting me to do nice things." He let out a small puff of air.

"It's okay." I could feel the back of my neck getting hot. "It was my fault."

When Chase glanced at me again, his face was back to the way I knew it best. Teasing smile, raised brow, eyes the color of electric violet. "Guess I should thank you for the note. Kind of funny waking up to that, especially when you consider the fact that you must have been standing right there while I was sleeping."

My entire face was burning. "Oh, Chase, I didn't-"

"I know," he interrupted with a laugh. "Let's just forget about everything. I'm getting too tired to keep up."

"I don't think I can forget everything."

He tilted his head down and examined the floor. "Hey, Angela, when we get back to Castanet, it'll be easier. You'll have your little pal back. You can focus on the farm... you can forget about Jarvis."

It struck me as so unexpected and hilarious that I nearly choked on air when he said it. Chase cracked a smile and watched me out of the corner of his eye. I started to correct him, but the words got lost in my laughter. His name was _Jason_. Chase already knew that, though. He was just playing with me.

I heaved a sigh and smiled. After a second, I asked, "Who?"

"Aha! Good girl." He stood up and stretched. "You made breakfast? With all the noise, I figured you were making a feast for the queen." Chase tried to look up at his hair and went a little cross-eyed. "How's my hair?"

It was horribly messy. But I didn't know what to say, so I just laughed and motioned for him to comb his fingers through it.

He did just as I directed, raking his fingers through the strands of his hair until it was all swept back. When he was done, he inclined his head toward me so I could evaluate. And I realized there were some things he didn't know. The way his hair fell back into its messy place across his forehead, the way he was smiling at me, almost self-deprecatingly, as though icy rain was dripping down his face. He didn't know how amazing and beautiful that was.

* * *

><p>My dad was sitting across the table from Gill when I went into the kitchen. Luke stood over the stovetop, trying to transfer a third pancake to his plate. Gill must have put them back on the stove to keep them from getting cold.<p>

"Angela," my dad said cheerfully, "your mother had to run to the bank. When she gets back, we're headed to the café downtown to meet the Voss family for lunch. You remember them?"

I nodded. Mr. Voss was my history teacher from high school. At the first parent/teacher conference, my parents really hit it off with him. I thought it was weird, but apparently I was the only one with that opinion.

Luke gave me a little wave. I waved back and pointed to the balloon. He grinned, lifted up his plate slightly, and mouthed, "You're the best."

I had just opened my mouth to ask him how he was doing when he got this wild look on his face and shouted, "Surprise!" I jumped and let out a little yelp.

At the same time, I heard a thump behind me. When I turned around, I saw Chase standing there, appearing dazed and startled. He had dropped an orange at Luke's outburst.

"Goddess, you spaz," he muttered as he bent over to pick it up. "I didn't even see you standing over there."

"You're Chase, right?" my dad asked.

"Yes sir," Chase said, slurring the two words together and making it sound like _yezzur_. Based on the way he said it, I half-expected him to add, "At your service!" But he merely sighed as he stood up and mumbled, "Sometimes I wish I wasn't."

Gill shook his head. He had this funny expression on his face; his eyebrows were raised and his lips were pressed together, almost as if to say _I-told-you-so_. "Everything okay?" he asked after glancing in Chase's direction.

"I see we're starting the day off with stupid questions." Chase could go from teasing and funny to sarcastic and uninterested in the blink of an eye. Right now he was acting like he was being subjected to some heinous form of torture. I looked at my dad to see if he caught what Chase just said, but he was once again absorbed in the newspaper.

Chase held the orange and spun it around in his hand. He was looking at the table. "Did you do all this?"

I nodded, resisting the urge to fire a "look who's asking stupid questions now" at him. I wouldn't have meant it, of course. I would've simply wanted to seize the opportunity to play his game.

The longer he stared at the table, with the bowl of fresh oranges, the vase of lavender, the bouncing red balloon, and the heap of pancakes in the middle, the more his expression softened. He finally looked back to me, but his eyes were confused, as if he didn't know what was going on.

I had to do it. I couldn't stand it. Stepping into the space between us, I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face against his shirt. It was there, safely next to his heart, that I let a tear slip from my eye.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered. "I don't care if you were just trying to get away from Maya. Whatever the reason, I'm just glad you're here."

One arm wrapped around my shoulder in return. He bowed his head so his breath was warm on my ear. He pressed me closer to his chest, and I closed my eyes and felt the fabric of his shirt under my hand. "If I could go back and do it all again, we'd still be standing right here," he whispered back. Then a little louder, he added, "Now, Angela, please control your womanly hormones and quit getting so emotional."

I pulled away from his one-armed embrace and quickly wiped the tearstains off my face. My dad was watching us. I wanted to think that was why Chase added the sarcastic bit at the end. So I smirked and said, "Only if you control yours."

He smiled at my quip. I smiled back. He knew I meant what I said, and I knew that voice in my ear was real.

When I looked behind me, I saw that Luke was balancing a plate of pancakes on his arm while trying to grab the syrup and a butter knife with his hands. He settled at the table next to Gill. My dad was still a bit intimidating despite being in a much better mood about my companions than yesterday.

A little while later, my mom returned from the bank and then left again with my dad to go to lunch. That's when Luke started pestering Chase about where _we _should go for lunch. While they talked, I glanced over my handiwork for the fiftieth time. The red balloon, the oranges, the lavender... Luke, Chase, Gill... I couldn't live without any of them.

And that's what I decided. I was getting too wrapped up in thinking about the complexities of feelings and emotions, when really, the answer was simple. Chase, Gill, Luke – all of them were my friends. The best, most interesting, wonderfully frustrating people I'd ever met.

"So," Luke started suddenly. "What's the plan?"

All eyes turned to me. Looking across the table, I was met with a shock of icy blue, brilliantly sharp; a magnetic violet, calm and captivating, like static; and a warm blaze of golden, alight with possibility.

"What?" I asked after a moment of hesitation.

"The plan," Luke repeated excitedly. "How are we going to get Roscoe back?"

I glanced around. No one objected. In fact, Gill was watching me with a level gaze and an almost-smile on his face. Chase had his eyebrows raised slightly in question. _We_, I thought. After everything, we were still together. They _did_ want to help me. They had wanted to all along.

"Oh..." I stuttered a little before clearing my throat and starting over. "I guess I could try to set the agenda for the next few days."

I looked for a nod of approval or something of the sort, but everyone was just waiting. Chase was playing with the button on his cuff.

"My dog is probably in Sunshine Islands right now." I bit my lip. It didn't really strike me until just now. My dog was somewhere on a strange island all alone. What if he got hit by a car? What if someone found him and claimed him as their own? My breathing started to quicken. Roscoe was my best friend. He helped me through so much. But I didn't know how to help him.

Gill dropped his hand on the table, and it made a _smack_ that startled me. "You don't know what to do, do you?"

I shook my head. Was it that obvious?

Chase scoffed. "Get the phone number of the transport company and call them. Find out where your little pal is. If he's still on the boat, arrange for him to come to Castanet. If he's not, find out who picked him up or where they put him. Just do that right now."

"Like, now? At this moment?"

He nodded.

So I did. It took me a while to get the telephone number. I had to call my mom so she could tell me where to look it up. Then I called. I was transferred about four times, but thankfully the last person I talked to was able to look up Roscoe in the transport database.

He was delivered to Sunshine Islands earlier in the week and picked up by a man named Vaughn. It sounded familiar, but I was positive I didn't know anyone by that name.

"Some guy named Vaughn picked up my dog. Does that sound familiar to you? 'Cause it sounds really familiar to me."

"The name rings a bell," Gill said.

"That guy!" Luke shot up from the table. "On the boat. He was sitting near us. You started reading this note he left on the seat, and it was addressed to Vaughn."

"Oh my gosh," I breathed. "I remember thinking his bag was moving. He had Roscoe. I bet my little dog was in his bag. Oh gosh."

Gill shook his head. "Why would he have your dog in his bag? That boat was going from Castanet to the city. Why wasn't Roscoe on the boat he was supposed to be on?"

We were all silent for a moment.

"When I bought the ticket, I got a boat schedule," Chase said. "Maybe the boat was making other stops. Maybe it stopped in Sunshine Islands before it stopped in Castanet."

Luke nodded in agreement.

"Go get it!"

Chase left and returned minutes later with a boat schedule in hand. His face wore a hint of satisfaction. "Yeah, I was right. It stopped in Sunshine Islands just before Castanet."

"I don't even know where the Sunshine Islands are," I said.

"Not very far." Gill crossed his arms. He looked at me curiously, smiling a little in that assured way of his. "We'll get him back, Angela."

That reminded me: I was supposed to be getting something back for Chase. Was he thinking the same thing? Did he wish we were planning the reclaim of his lost possession instead of mine? I looked across the table at him and watched as he resumed playing with the button on his cuff. He caught my eye and mouthed something.

I raised my brow. _John fit? _

Slower, his lips made the same movement. Soon Luke was watching him too. And Gill. Whatever he was trying to say wasn't a secret anymore.

I shook my head again, still pretending I was the only one who noticed his secret message. _Hard filth?_

He just raised his eyebrows at me and waited. Then I made the same movements with my mouth, slowly, over and over, and suddenly it came to me.

_Jarvis_.

I snorted with laughter, probably sounding like an idiot. But then I realized, no, he wasn't thinking about himself. He was thinking about making me laugh. Even if my laugh was obnoxious enough to beach a whale.

I mouthed _Jason _back at him in correction.

"String cheese?" He got an exaggerated, horrified look on his face. "Oh, no. No, no, I know what you meant." He laughed. "I'm the best thing since string cheese. That's what you were saying, right?"

That just made me laugh harder. "Oh gosh, I don't even like string cheese!"

"Me neither."

"As much as I hate to interrupt this circus, I have to go to an appointment at the City building." Gill stood up. "Thanks for breakfast, Angela."

"You're welcome, Gill," I said, still laughing. "Have fun."

And despite everything that's happened, for the first time in a week, I knew I truly was.

* * *

><p><em>AN: I can't even express how bad I feel about my unexpected, unannounced month-long hiatus. Ugh, I'm just horrible. I'm so sorry. Hopefully you can forgive me? Yesterday was the first day I've had a break from school (nope, not even the holidays gave me a break), so I worked last night and today on getting this chapter finished._

_I really hope you liked it... and I really hope no one has given up on the story because of my absence. Thank you so very much for the reviews on the last chapter. I'm extremely grateful for the support. :)_

_I have a break this week so I'll work extra hard on getting the next chapter ready to post!_

_Love you all so much for reading and being great reviewers!_

_~ Violet_


	18. En Francais, s'il vous plaît

The south side of the city was fancy. So fancy, in fact, that even the sidewalks seemed to sparkle when the sunlight hit them just right. The atmosphere was rather inhospitable for a bland office-worker girl like me. Needless to say, I had no idea how to act or even where I was.

I didn't have to worry about the latter, though. Chase had somewhere he wanted to go, and we were supposed to play follow the leader. He wasn't making it easy. We kept getting lost around a corner or stuck at a crosswalk when the light turned red. Then we would catch up with Chase, his impatient crossed arms, and that smooth, playful smile. I could see from the way he carried himself that he knew how to live in the city. People didn't pay attention to him as he slid through open spaces like water. His hands were in his pockets, his eyes were focused on one spot directly ahead, and his posture was slightly slouched to shoulder the crowds.

Luke and I, however, were making quite a scene. Luke was a scene himself, with the wild azure hair, flame bandana, and ripped jeans. Thankfully we persuaded him to ditch the axe at home. I was a clumsy, lanky mess as I tried to rush through the people while keeping one eye on Chase at least a block ahead of us. I bumped into Luke more times than I could count, but we both just laughed. The more lost and ungraceful we became, the funnier it was.

Then Chase disappeared completely, and no matter how many people we dodged, we still couldn't see him.

"Luke!" I grabbed his arm and used it as leverage to hop up above the crowd. "Do you see him anywhere?"

He shook his head.

I said _darn it _and some guy with a briefcase gave me a dirty look. When his back was to us, I stuck my tongue out at him and Luke started laughing. It was immature, but today felt like a good day to have fun.

We resorted to calling for Chase, even though the sheer amount of people traipsing through the streets seemed to suggest there was some convention in town we weren't aware of.

"Hey Chase!" Luke shouted.

There was another nasty glare as a plump high-heeled woman bustled past.

We laughed harder.

"Chase!" I yelled. I'd been yelling so much that my voice cracked on the _a _of his name.

I thought for sure Luke and I were going to throw up. I was dizzy; drunk on the car sounds and low chatter and the swirl of people's faces. It was like a game. A crazy, hilarious game where Chase held all the cards but somehow Luke and I had the most fun. Surely just the other day Chase couldn't have been lying in a hospital bed and my world couldn't have been falling apart.

"He's over there," Luke said. He put his hand on my arm and guided me through the people. "Wait, look, he's doing it again!"

I squinted. Chase was standing under a canopy in the entranceway to a restaurant. "Doing what?"

Luke glanced at me. "His face. He always has that expression on his face. Sort of like..." His smile smoothed into a neutral expression, with his lips slightly pursed, jaw set to the side, and a blank look in his eyes. He furrowed his eyebrows the tiniest bit, just so a crease formed in the middle, like he was solving a math problem. All his facial modifications were so slight that I wouldn't have known he was trying to imitate someone. But then I looked back at Chase and laughed.

"Luke! That's scary! He _does _look like that all the time."

"I know!" he said quickly. "One time I was at the bar, bored out of my mind. Owen and Kathy left to go horseback riding with Renee or something, so I was just sitting there, trying to make conversation with Chase, you know? Well after, like, forty-five minutes of a one-sided conversation, I stopped talking and just watched him mix the drinks and cook stuff. The entire time, his face was like this." He imitated Chase's facial expression. "And I turned it into a game with myself, to see how long he could keep it like that until he smiled or frowned or something else. Now I notice it all the time and I can't stop. It's just too funny. I call it the Chase Face."

"Does Chase know about said 'Chase Face'?"

"He hasn't figured it out yet. I don't think he knows how much he does it. Like, seriously, what's he doing? It's hilarious! Chase is a class act comedian!"

I didn't have the heart to tell him that _class act comedian _was a phrase that almost didn't make sense. I quite liked it, actually. Luke always spun his words into bursts of emotion. It was a nifty little habit of his. Everything was exciting and passionate in his world. Even things that made no sense.

We finally caught up with Chase. He gave a wry smile and uncrossed his arms.

I peered up at the building. "So where are we? We had a heck of a time trying to follow you."

"It's called a _restaurant_. Big word, I know. Say it with me: _rest-au-rant_." He turned toward the entrance. "They serve food here. For hungry people. Which is what we are. This place is pretty good."

"Okay, Mr. Dictionary," I said before starting toward the door. Then I stopped abruptly. "Whoa, hold on, I want to go where you used to work."

"Huh?" Chase looked at me oddly. "How do you know I worked at a restaurant in the city?"

"Gill told me. He said you left the island when you were sixteen to come back to the city and work at a restaurant with high-class chefs. I think you made him sad when you left. Well, what he actually said was, 'Everyone was so used to Chase's cooking that food from the bar started to taste like envelope glue,' but by the tone of his voice, I think what he meant was, 'Chase left and we all cried ourselves to sleep every night.'"

Luke nodded with mock seriousness. "I know I did."

"You guys were talking about me?" Chase's mouth was twisted like snarl. He obviously didn't know that we had talked about him at least a dozen times before.

"We were talking about chimichangas. Then I asked if you were a professional chef and Gill said that you had worked in a fancy restaurant, but he didn't know if you were officially a professional." I smiled. "So can we go to one of the places you worked at?"

He grimaced. Then he sighed a second later in resignation. "Try not to get lost."

* * *

><p>Little tables with red umbrellas and black wire chairs greeted us outside the restaurant. Crimson and white striped canopies hung over the entrance and the windows. Spiral topiaries were on either side of the doors.<p>

I smiled at Chase. "A French bistro?"

He gave a slight nod as he pushed open the doors.

"You're kidding. _You _in a cute little French restaurant?"

"First job."

The laughter came spilling out of my mouth just as we walked into the quiet dining atmosphere. Some people turned to look at me, so I covered my mouth and tried to disguise it with coughing. A young woman with snowy white-blonde hair and too-red lipstick showed us to a table next to the front window.

Luke and I spent a whole ten minutes poring over the menu, which happened to be mostly in French.

He tried to sound out one of the words. "La soop ah la oog non."

"La soupe à l'oignon," Chase corrected as he stared at the ice cubes floating around in his water. "Onion soup."

"Oh, Chase!" I splayed my fingers out on the table in front of me and grinned. "You can speak French?"

Chase made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. "Not really. I just picked up some stuff working here."

"Will you order for us in French? Please? That would be so cool."

He shook his head but smiled. "Wow, is that possible? To get even _cooler_ than I already am?"

I laughed. We were eating a lot of food today with the feast I made for breakfast and now a late lunch, but after eating minimally the past few days, I supposed the hunger caught up to us. Besides, I wanted to hang out with the guys as much as I could while I was still in the mental stage somewhere between _recovering from near-death experience_ and _determined to get Roscoe back at all costs_.

"Bonjour," the blonde waitress greeted. "What can I get you?"

"En Franҫais, s'il vous plaît," I interjected with a little smile.

The waitress smiled back and cleared her throat delicately. "Excusez-moi. Vous avez choisi?"

Chase sighed and brought his eyes up to meet hers. "Je voudrais un sandwich au jambon. Et pour mes amis, une quiche et la soupe du jour. C'est vendredi, non?"

"Oui," she murmured. She was staring at him. "J'aime vos épingles à cheveux."

Luke leaned into the table and adopted a breathy French accent. "Vat ah joo zaying?"

I almost spit up my water all over the table. Before I knew it, I was gasping for air and trying not to throw up. The waitress retreated to the kitchen, attempting to stifle her own laughter.

"Angela, Angela," Chase said quietly, chuckling. He reached a hand over the table and touched my arm. "Don't make a scene. They'll kick us out and you won't even get to try the crème brûlée."

"Oh my _gosh_." I inhaled sharply. "What did she say to you? Do you know her? And what did you order for us?"

"No idea. Something about my hair." He sipped on his water. "No, she must be new. I ordered you a quiche and Luke gets the soup of the day. _Friday's_ soup of the day." He smiled, like Friday's soup of the day was mystery meat in the cafeteria. "Now don't go labeling me as the 'coup de foudre' Parisian romance junk kind of guy just because I know how to order a ham sandwich in French."

"Nope, I wouldn't even dream of such a thing. But tell me this: if your range of French supposedly extends from pomme to gâteau, then how do you know 'love at first sight'?"

"Doesn't everyone?"

I shook my head and smiled.

Luke started to fold his napkin with such intricacy it was like origami. He glanced up at Chase. "What's crème brûlée? Man, you guys got all the fun. I've never heard of this cool stuff on the island."

"It's basically custard. That was one of my favorite things to make here," Chase said thoughtfully. "There was this guy I worked with... he thought I was a pyromaniac. You know, from torching sugar on a daily basis. Some kid tried to stick his hand in my tip jar one day, and I actually had to fight the urge to whip out the torch. Then his mom had the nerve to scold _me _for leaving the jar on the counter. Hello lady, it's a tip jar. Control your little maggot."

"Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I think you just turned the answer to a simple question – custard – into a brief memoir of the beginnings of your misanthropy." I struggled to maintain my deadpan face. "I'm pretty sure the universe is heliocentric. Not Chase-centric."

Chase rolled his eyes and smiled, wiping some condensation off his glass with his thumb. "So are you saying that the poor guy who thought the universe was geocentric is wrong too?"

Luke grinned. "Actually, I think the planets just got confused."

Chase raised his brow. "Confused about what?"

"The sun is pretty big, right?" Luke gave us a _duh_ expression. "They obviously got it mixed up with your head."

Once again I burst out into laughter. It was so funny, coming from Luke of all people, that I couldn't stop laughing. Tears were forming in my eyes. Chase didn't find it funny at first, but after I almost laughed out my guts, he started chuckling.

"Yeah, okay, Luke. Just wait for your soupe du jour."

Chase couldn't have surprised me more with his fancy French bistro roots. He was just sitting there, staring at the ice cubes in his glass, and I thought about what else I didn't know about him. It was kind of hard to know what I didn't know, but I tried to imagine. Then something else wandered into my mind, just as our food was brought to the table. Something Chase might know.

"So," I began, "any idea what's up with Gill?"

Luke pushed his hair out of his eyes and looked at his soup curiously. "Yeah, that's what I was wondering. He sorta avoided the question when you asked him what he was doing here."

Chase didn't say anything. He looked down at his sandwich and then back at the ice cubes in his water. "Oh? Nah, that's just Gill. He's weird about official things. After what... well, you know about Kasey, right?" He waited for me to nod. "That's his problem."

"What?"

"Gill lives and breathes the island. It's an obsession, okay? It's weird. Anyway, after Castanet started to go downhill, he tried to figure out what he could do to save it. Then this guy, Kasey, showed up out of nowhere. Gill's dad helped him out with some stuff, like, let him in on town secrets or whatever, and within a few seasons everything was back to normal. Gill was frustrated. I can't imagine... it was all right in front of him the whole time." Chase shook his head. "Now he's possessive about it."

"Of Castanet?" I asked, making a face. "You make it sound so creepy, Chase. Like he has a shrine in his closet of all things Castanet that he worships."

"His closet? Heck no, that shrine spans an entire wall in his bathroom."

I laughed. "You'd better be careful. One of these days I'm going to believe you."

"We wouldn't want that," he said, smiling.

"Gill was— is, I mean— smarter than Kasey," Luke said. "He totally could've fixed the island. And there's a reason he didn't, right?"

"Hm?" Chase took a bite of his sandwich and said, ever so elegantly with his mouth full, "Enlighten us please."

"You left about six years ago. Maybe more. Or less. Gill left sometime after that... and then Kasey showed up. You came back. Then Gill came back. Is that right?"

"Making a timeline, eh?" Chase raised his brow. "Sure, sounds about right."

"Hey, what do you mean that he showed up out of nowhere?" I asked. "Gill met Kasey in the city and told him about the problems of Castanet himself."

"Oh? That was a mistake for him then," Chase drawled. "Goddess, you guys, I don't know. Just ask him yourselves."

"Ask him what exactly?"

"How should I know?" Chase set his glass down with a loud _plunk_. He sighed forcefully. There was a long stretch of silence that lasted a few minutes. Then he said, "So you want to hear a story? I'm in the story-telling mood right now. Take it or leave it."

I chewed my food without really tasting it. It was good, but Chase was diverting all my attention. "What a coincidence," I said. "I seem to be in the story-listening mood right now. Please do tell."

"All right, if you insist." He tapped a finger against the side of his face thoughtfully.

My stomach practically turned inside out when I noticed the orangey-blond scruff lining his jaw. Of course, he was a guy, and guys had facial hair. So why did it set off a circus – complete with fire jugglers and high-flying trapeze artists – in my stomach? I never would have imagined Chase with facial hair.

As he started speaking again, I decided he needed to shave. I felt, with the discovery of the boyish scruff along his jaw, that there were suddenly at least ten years between us, and that was a weird feeling.

"I saw Gill in the city a few years ago. I was walking home from work. Actually, no, I got fired and I was walking around aimlessly. It was late, neither of us were paying attention, and he ran into me, literally."

Luke glanced at me sideways and leaned into the table. "This sounds scary. Like the beginning of a horror movie."

"Keen observation," Chase responded, taking on a reflective expression. "After he dropped some stuff, I tried to make a stupid joke about it. He acted like he didn't know who I was at first. It was surprising to run into someone from the island. I'd already been in the city for over a year, and I don't know, it could've been cool."

"But you were fired, right? Why is that?" Luke asked.

"I was too _devastatingly_ charming for the boss to handle. What do you think, Luke?" Chase tensed his hand around the edge of the table. "I fought with one of the customers. Then I left my apartment key at the restaurant by mistake. I was so furious that night. Literally just wanted to strangle someone. Then Gill came along and started talking with his moronic politician jargon, and I just lost it. I made myself sound delirious, cussing out the city and the weather and my life. I was still hung up on what happened at the restaurant, so I threatened that guy too, even though he wasn't around to hear it."

I frowned. "Was this a mental breakdown?"

"No," he scoffed. Then his sentence got all jumbled in defense. "A wha? Breakdown— seriously, Angela—? I don't know. Whatever. Gill left me alone, but I had walked for so long without paying attention, I didn't really know where I was. So I stopped and sat down next to this old building, right in the rain. Gill, that jerk, he followed me because he thought I was drunk. And he said something about how, as future mayor, he couldn't let me do what I was doing. Being self-destructive or whatever." Chase propped his head up with his hand and scowled. "Then, get this, he told me, 'After all these years, I don't really know anything about you, but as your friend, I do know the couch in my living room is probably more suitable for wallowing in self-pity than the dirty sidewalk.' I remember that word for word because it was probably the nicest thing that had ever come out of his mouth, but I told him to take his offer and shove it."

At that moment, Luke bumped his arm against the table reaching for his drink. The whole table began to quiver, including Chase's glass, rattling the ice cubes against each other. His eyes fell to the noise, and he closed his hand around the base of the glass, eyeing it until the water settled. Then his eyes returned to his plate.

"Gill kept telling me that I was going to catch pneumonia. But I didn't care. In fact, I think I told him that it'd be okay if I caught pneumonia and dropped dead. Hah, mistake. Gill doesn't joke around like that."

"So did you?" Luke started up with his soup again. It was a sickly color, pale, like soggy mashed potatoes.

"Did I what?"

"Catch pneumonia?"

Chase shook his head. "No, of course not."

Luke made a face. "Well excuse me for asking."

"So what happened after that?" I cut in.

"It was around three in the morning when I finally decided I didn't want to look like a street bum – or catch pneumonia – so I crashed on the couch at his apartment. The next day, I kept waiting for him to kick me out." Chase tugged on the button on his cuff. "I can see how he might've thought I was wasted. He didn't have to be so presumptuous, though. I was _above _the influence."

"I'm skeptical," Luke said bluntly, making me laugh.

"Yeah. Rightly so." Chase rolled his eyes. "Have you ever seen me drunk?"

"I don't know, man. You work at a bar."

"Exactly. The idea of stripping my pants off while attempting to sing _Love is a Battlefield _is somehow not appealing."

The waitress stopped by our table to ask, in French, if everything was okay. Chase just said, "Yeah. Great." And the girl's fire-engine-red lips puckered in a frown. Chase waited until she left before starting to talk again. He was completely oblivious to the way she was looking at him. Or maybe he just didn't care.

"Now that I think about it, maybe he let me stay because of those extra sandwiches I brought to school for him all those years ago. You know, repaying the favor." His eyes widened as though he just remembered something. "Before I moved to the island, my... um, I was forced to see a counselor for a little while. It was stupid... But she told me that I should do things for other people to make myself happier. So imagine me: this twelve year old trying to make it in a new town with no parents or anything. I see this kid in my class whose mom just died, and it looked like he was going anorexic. So yeah, that annoying counselor's voice told me I should do something. In a heroic act of bravery, I made sandwiches!"

"You're so sweet," I said, laughing.

"Aha!" Chase flashed a grin at me. "I know. Now back to the story."

I learned a while ago that he couldn't be trusted to tell the whole story. This one was intriguing. I'd have to ask Gill for the other half sometime.

"When I finally woke up, it was starting to get late." Chase looked up from the ice cubes and smirked at us. "There was this girl there. Gill was with her in the kitchen. When I went in there to see what was up, he looked at me with this horrified expression on his face. Like I wasn't supposed to be alive, let alone standing in his kitchen."

Luke was listening with his eyebrows furrowed. "There was an actual girl in his apartment?"

"Yeah. I mean, way to go, Gill, right? Who'd have thought? They were talking all professional, like it was some business conference in his kitchen. I guess she just came by to drop something off that he had left somewhere. But they were talking about me and it was weird." Chase looked down and stared at his hands. He stayed like that for a few seconds, thinking about something. Then he shook his head once.

"Ah, the moral of the story," he said. "When the something... is... then the... hmph. I don't remember how it goes. Point is: Gill may have been a little sidetracked in the city."

"The girl?"

Chase sipped his water and scrunched up his face as though I just suggested something absurd.

"Then what do you mean? Sidetracked by what?"

"How should I know? It wasn't the girl. She had something to do with it, though. He wouldn't tell me. That's when he kicked me out." Chase laughed a little at the last part.

"Well that couldn't be more confusing." I shook my head at him. "I was better off if you hadn't said anything."

Luke smiled wide. "See? Gill was smart enough to do it. He just couldn't because he was distracted with something else. Hmm, I was right."

"It sounds like Chase was the one who got sidetracked in the city with all this 'getting in fights with customers' and having mental breakdowns," I said, trying to make a joke. Chase wasn't taking it.

He narrowed his eyes at us, drumming his fingers idly on the table.

"Why'd you come back?" I asked after a moment. "To Castanet, I mean. Why didn't you stay here?"

He looked out the front window. People were walking past, brisk and hurried. A little boy, unsteady on his feet in the bustle, was being tugged along by a woman with a pinched face. Her other hand was awkwardly tapping at her cell phone.

"The city's cold," Chase answered, watching the same thing I was. "It's too far from home." I wondered what he meant by that, but before I could ask, he turned to Luke. "How was lunch?"

Luke grinned. "Great! Why? What was it?"

Chase smiled, his features gradually being overtaken by the turn of his mouth. His words came out slowly, deviously. Like a victory. "Didn't know you enjoyed escargot soup, did you?"

* * *

><p><em>AN: (Lol escargot soup is for real. Never had it, but ehch Chase that's gross to make poor Luke eat it. D: )_

_Hey my friends! I thank you to the moon and back for reviewing and/or reading. :) Special shout out to Alisyndrome, who – I forgot to mention before here on FF – drew some fanart for CC of Chase when he was a cute little freckled boy with Pepsi. fav. me/d5mou3j (no spaces)_

_All these wonderful amazing reviews are making me so happy! I honestly can't thank you all enough for reviewing or even just taking the time to read. :)_

_Please let me know what you think! I read this chapter over probably a thousand times... so I hope it's okay. :/ As I was writing it, I realized that many of these chapters consist of the characters talking about the other character(s) who was left out of the scene. We'll have to switch it up I guess. Except the next chapter is already written, so I'll leave it how it is. :P_

_I promise you guys I write on CC every single day. I don't slack off or forget about how wonderful everyone is and how you are all waiting. I just need lessons in quick updating. Sorry for making you wait so long. :(_

_I very much love my reviewers. Okay, thank you, goodbye for now! :) I'll be sure to update when I can!_

_Oh, by the way, if you were wondering, the waitress complimented Chase on his hairpins in French. :P_


	19. Misgivings

There was a little suspicion I had. Chase was not honest all the time, but when he really meant something, you could tell. Conversely, Gill was honest all the time, and when he wasn't, you could definitely tell. Like now, for example. I could definitely tell he was not being honest about something.

So I called Elli. I asked her if Chase really did have any tests done at the hospital. There was a moment when I thought she'd hung up, and I remembered that doctor-patient confidentially thing. She eventually gave in and told me, no, he hadn't had anything of the sort done, but she asked if something should have been. I said no. Somehow I ended up making a commitment to babysit her nephew and son later in the day. That wouldn't be a problem. I liked kids. The problem with that phone call was that it left me confused.

For one, Gill's trip to the city was not something I could accept with his simple answer of "official business." He was acting far too secretive. Further, he had reacted strangely when Chase asked him what he was doing in the city. It had gone almost too far when he snuck out of the house early in the morning to retrieve some paper that I refused to believe actually belonged to Chase. Just asking him was out of the question. If he'd wanted me to know, he would have told me by now and would not have gone to such lengths to cover it up. It must have been something impressive. Gill was so preoccupied that his physical state was less than flawless, as I'd come to notice with the frequency of his headaches, even before he sustained that head injury. The way he looked worn and offered only superficial smiles to convey false amusement. The irritated huff he'd come to me in earlier asking for the ironing board to iron his wrinkled shirt.

Yes, Gill Hamilton was hiding something. And I was about to find out what.

* * *

><p>As much as I'd wanted to ponder the situation for hours, it wasn't really something to be concerned with at the moment. He was off at the City Building, leaving my parents, Luke, Chase, and I home with not much to do. We were just waiting on the next boat out of there, either to Sunshine Islands or back home. Whichever came first. I was out of direction, having used up what little leadership skills I had just finding out where Roscoe was.<p>

Mom had an appointment to keep in the afternoon, but until then, she asked Chase all kinds of questions, mostly about food. He was smart. Much more intelligent than he actually acted. Sure, he was street smart, but underneath that, his brain had hundreds of recipes, techniques, tools, tips, and most importantly – common sense – memorized. He was good at math: multiplying large numbers quickly, dividing them, adding up fractions and percentages, calculating measurements.

This all came from work in restaurants, he told us. When he used to be a waiter and a cashier, he had learned to memorize certain odd combinations of multiplications. Like if a customer ordered three fountain beverages, three burgers with only two made into combo meals, and extra dipping sauce, Chase had the price all figured out within seconds. He knew science, too. Cooking was a science, apparently. It was a contradiction of complex yet simple, and substances followed set rules of nature, which, when understood, could be experimented with.

Dad took Luke outside as promised and showed him _the shop_. They acted as if the event was a sacred rite of passage; two carpenters collaborating and sharing secrets. I was tempted to go out and witness the spectacle, but once my mom left, Chase wanted to fulfill his promise to make dinner and thus appointed me as deputy chef. Which basically meant I had to gather ingredients for him and no doubt clean up afterward.

Not that I minded.

* * *

><p>"Is this what old people feel like?" Chase asked as he leaned against the bar in the kitchen, having just put a casserole in the oven for dinner. He hadn't brought an apron on the trip, so he had to borrow from my parents. His choices were between my mom's aprons that said, "My special ingredient is love" and "Be nice to the lunch lady." Or my dad's, "Real men wear aprons." Obviously, he went with my dad's.<p>

I crossed my arms. "That depends on if you're talking about, like, _forty _old, or _seventy-two _old."

"Yeah." Chase rubbed his eye and smiled slightly, not even bothering to clarify. "Tell me when it's been fifty minutes. That's your official job. I'm almost positive you can't mess that up."

"Sure thing, Captain." We looked at each other for a second. I knew he could tell that something was bothering me. That thing about Gill, it wasn't the only thing I was thinking about. It was about that story he told me yesterday. Ever since he told me, I imagined him as sixteen, wandering through the city streets in a stupor. An image of him, broken, kept appearing in my mind, and it haunted me. "Chase, I want to know if... if there's something wrong with you. I think you should tell me."

He recoiled from the bar, looking at me in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that story yesterday... and the paper Gill had." Elli had said there were no tests done, but I really wasn't sure what to believe.

Chase stared at me a moment. He covered his mouth with a hand and started snickering. Then he was all-out laughing and saying, "Ah, that hurts." When he finally calmed down, he shook his head at me. "You misunderstood. Well, that's not entirely your fault. I left out a few things. Luke was there, you know. The reason Gill assumed I was drunk was because I got in a fight earlier, just as I said. But I didn't mention that the customer I fought with was that guy."

"Jason?" I was beginning to feel that the word _Jason _was an awkward word that Chase had trouble with, like it cut his tongue when he spoke it. I had heard him say it only once or twice before. And though he'd sounded casual, his mouth had twisted at the word's bitterness. There was some reason he couldn't say it.

"Yeah. He left me a twenty-five cent tip and told me to go buy a Pepsi. So I chased him outside. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. That could be another reason why Gill followed me. I was bleeding a lot, but it was worth it."

I didn't know what to say. So I just said, "Oh."

"You asked if there was something wrong with me..." he started again. "I'm pretty calm most of the time. But I suppose that's only been since recently. I'm quick-tempered, if you hadn't noticed. I refuse to believe it's _all_ me. When you work at a bar, the idiocy just flies off the charts and drives your sanity over a cliff, you know what I mean? I have a low tolerance for stupid, just like Luke has a low tolerance for cocktails."

"So that's all you think is wrong with yourself? That's not so bad, Chase. It just makes you a little hard to get to know. You're definitely not a pushover."

"I can just see that on my next job application." He crossed his arms indignantly and said, "Preexisting medical conditions? 'Not a pushover,' expertly diagnosed by the paranoiac genius, Dr. Angela Williams."

I laughed. "Okay. You're just fine. I'm not a paranoiac, by the way. Or a doctor."

"By process of elimination that leaves genius." Chase looked down and smiled. Then he glanced back up at me. "Oh, you were wondering about that paper Gill had? I don't know. I've never had a blood test."

"But you just went along with it?"

"Did I? I guess I did. What a waste, since I didn't keep up the ruse."

Chase untied his apron and pulled it off. As he draped it over his arm, a shadow flashed across his face. I couldn't help it; I breathed out too quickly and made a noise that I had seen. He looked back at me with a stony expression. Less than two seconds ago he just assured me he was fine, but I knew he was still hurting. After all, even if it seemed like a lifetime ago, the whole incident happened just the other day. My body was still sore too.

Chase had his eyebrows slightly pushed together, and the shades of purple in his eyes were abysmal and smoky. After a long stretch of silence, he said, "Up until now I had forgotten why I like cooking."

"Why do you?"

"I can never seem to make people happy. But the look on your face when you tried the sauce reminded me that my food can. That's something, I think. At least it makes me forget about my own problems for a little while." His expression turned sour. "Never mind. I just meant that even though it still hurts, I'd rather be here than in the hospital. You can stop looking at me like that now." He stared at me suspiciously, then leaned forward and said, "I _enjoy_ it."

I shook my head. "You really are a bit of a masochist."

We smiled at each other, slow, fading turns of the mouth. Then I realized what a mess I made. I had brought it all back. I just had to invite him to the city with me. I just had to stray ahead of the group and attract trouble, drag up the past from underground. I just had to take the long way home. An important fact I happened to leave out was that the highway would've cut the road trip to thirty minutes, but I was just hoping for some fun. The house visit was never part of my plan, and now it was something I regretted adding in at the last minute.

Everything that Chase was going through right now boiled down to one thing.

Me.

Lately I'd been wondering what I had gotten myself into. From the day I received the brochure, I knew I wasn't thinking straight. A farm? That was crazy. I was nothing more than a city girl. A clueless city girl. My life was comprised of a flurry of emotions. I lived with regret and an unwavering desire for happiness. Interesting combination, but the definition of my life. Aside from those emotions, confusion was at the forefront.

I needed someone to connect the dots for me, to hold me up when I fell apart, someone to tell me everything was okay. One person's face came into my mind just then. One person who had eyes like whirlpools, a lopsided, perfectly imperfect smile, ashen blond hair, and all the answers I ever needed. Gill.

Chase never made me feel the clarity that Gill did. In fact, he made me feel even more confused. But being with him was exhilarating. I was always trying to be the next step ahead of him, thinking, figuring him out, but I only seemed to dig myself deeper in the hole. He was interwoven in my past, guilt, regret, and longing. Longing to make it right. To know him.

And then there was Luke. Handsome, hilarious, and safe. With him, I felt like nothing even mattered. I could be myself and just _breathe_. Everything was simple and wonderful. Golden eyes like honey, engulfing me in their sweetness.

"Angela." Chase's voice snapped my mind to the present, and from the irritated tone, I could tell that wasn't the first time he had said my name. He was sitting at the kitchen table with his head resting on his folded arms. He looked at me sideways.

"Yeah?"

"I just poured out my heart and you weren't even paying attention."

"You did?"

"The doorbell rang." He straightened. "But it's kind of the same thing."

I left the kitchen without asking for clarification; I had a feeling it was some joke beyond my level of comprehension. Looking out the front window, I saw Elli, holding a little boy with light brown hair and large eyes. An older boy clad in overalls with suspenders stood next to her. I opened the door and smiled my cheeriest smile.

"Hello!"

Elli's eyes lit up. "Angela! You're sweet for doing this. It's just awful for the daycare to be closed this week. I can scarcely believe you called me when I was freaking out over it. It's like you knew."

"Nah." I shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm glad to do it, after you took care of Chase at the hospital and let us stay there."

She laughed. "That was my job! I'd have done it otherwise, but it's really nothing to owe me for. The hospital bills are enough to owe, don't you think? Anyway, please call me if something comes up with the boys." Elli turned to the older boy at her side and looked at him exasperatedly. "Don't cause trouble, okay? And I'm sure Angela doesn't like bugs, so let's just leave those on the ground. Be nice to her, watch out for your nephew, and remember to have manners."

I watched her walk down the driveway after a goodbye hug from her brother, who participated begrudgingly. As she disappeared from sight, I ushered the two kids into the house.

The child with the darkest brown eyes I'd ever seen smiled up at me once I shut the door. "I'm Stu."

"Angela. Pleasure to meet you. And what's this little guy's name?"

Stu nodded, like he was satisfied with my response. "That's Pip."

"Pip?" I echoed. That must have been a nickname. "So are you hungry? I'm sure Chase could make you some mac and cheese."

Stu shrugged.

I pointed him in the direction of the kitchen. He looked the walls up and down on his way to the door as though he was a real estate agent appraising a house. He stopped at the doorway and waited for me to push it open.

Chase was slouched forward with his head sideways on the table. One arm was bent upward and he was messing with his hair. He obviously didn't hear us come in because he looked kind of funny in that position.

Pip tottered over to Chase and placed both of his hands on the side of the chair. His name didn't fit him, I realized. Pip was the name you would give to a chubby, loud toddler, not this adorable little boy with large round eyes, a tiny sweet smile and wispy brown hair. He was a quiet child, but his facial expressions and gentle actions spoke enough. The son of this Kasey fellow I'd been hearing about.

He peered up at Chase, who still wasn't aware of our presence, and gave a little laugh. "Hi," he crooned, drawing out the single syllable in his squeaky voice.

Chase jerked his head up and looked at the child standing in front of him with his hands pressed against the chair. He glanced at me and then back down at Pip, who simply stared at him.

I laughed. "Looks like you're the chosen one."

He propped his head up with his hand and blinked. "Who's this?"

Stu stepped forward. "I'm Stu. And that's Pip. He's my nephew."

Chase smiled half-heartedly after a moment, casting a wary glance down to the toddler. "My name's Chase."

"That's a cool name," Stu said with obvious awe. "Why'd your parents name you that?"

I didn't think Chase would react well to such a personal question. But he just shook his head. "Don't know."

"Well, why don't you ask them?"

"I can't," he said. "They aren't around anymore."

"Mine aren't either. I live with my sister." He pressed his lips together in concentration and narrowed his eyes at Chase. "What happened to your face? Were you being brave? That's what my sister said."

"Your sister?" he repeated and then seemed to backtrack. "My face? It's that bad?"

"The nurse in your room last night," I explained. "We met the other day when we missed the bus and Luke had to throw up in a Laundromat. It was such a coincidence that she worked at the hospital. Do you remember her? Elli?"

"No, I don't remember."

"Chase saved me from a crazy hobo." I smiled at Stu, who was still awaiting his answer. "But like I said, the hobo was crazy, so he punched Chase."

"You were in a _fight_?" Stu asked incredulously. "Did you give it right back to him?"

I exchanged a glance with Chase. He started to nod then shake his head. "Eh, of course," he said, reverting back to a nod. "You can't let people push you around. Say... Stu, was it? Why don't you go outside and play with Luke?"

A mischievous glint took hold of Stu's eyes. I could only imagine what kind of glorified fighting fantasies his mind was conjuring up. He nodded vigorously and said, "Okay!"

* * *

><p>Luke and I had exhausted our minds and bodies with every possible game we could think of. Stu had nonstop energy, rivaling that of the axe-wielding carpenter. There was a grass stain on my jeans and some dirt on my face. The sad thing was we'd only been playing for about thirty minutes. Pip toddled around in the grass near the fence and played with a toy truck I had found in my closet.<p>

I sprawled out on the lawn and heaved a sigh. Luke plopped down next to me with a playful smile and let his gloved hand fall next to mine. Stu stood in front of us, arms crossed, mischief in his muddy brown eyes. He lurched forward suddenly and poked my knee.

"Tag! You're it."

Another sigh escaped my lips, and I pretended to roll my eyes in disinterest. Luke was watching me with his mouth tugged into a slight smile. I pushed off the grass and sprang ahead, laughing and swatting at the air in an attempt to tag the young boy. His childish laughter filled the air and mingled with my own and Luke's, who was still in a comfortable position on the ground, watching us with his honey golden eyes.

"Hey Luke," I said, approaching him. "I think... I think there's a bug in my hair. Could you get it out?"

He laughed and stood up. "I guess so. You're not afraid of bugs, are you? They won't hurt ya."

At the mention of bugs, Stu peeked around from his hiding place behind the tree. His eyes were wide and curious. Caught up in the excitement of seeing a bug, he wandered over to us.

Luke lifted a strand of hair away from my cheek and leaned in. His face was close, serious and intent, looking for some nonexistent bug nestled in my hair. I put my hand on his shoulder, and his eyes flickered back to mine. His mouth was open slightly, forming an "o" of surprise. I smiled.

"You're it."

I bolted down the side of the house, glancing over my shoulder and laughing at Luke's stunned expression. He finally realized what just happened and took off running after me. He was laughing and shouting my name. I stumbled over a rock, thankfully regaining my balance before I toppled onto the lawn, and shrieked when Luke's outstretched hand came dangerously close to my arm.

Stu was screaming encouragements at Luke and lurching from bush to bush. "Get her! Get her!"

I spun around and saw the determination in Luke's eyes. He was smiling, his blue hair was flying, his bandana was askew, and his arms were spread out like an eagle's. I remembered to run a second too late, and by the time my feet started working, he was already closing in on me, full-speed.

I giggled and shrieked protests as I stumbled in a last-ditch effort to escape the inevitable. "Have mercy!" I put my arm up to fend off the collision I knew was bound to happen.

"Do you surrender?" He laughed, a sparkling, clear sound like wind chimes; musical and free. His arms wrapped around my waist and lifted me off the ground. It was the most clumsy, ungraceful thing, but the butterflies in my stomach told me it was the best thing. Stu was still yelling at Luke and laughing.

My dangling legs kicked uselessly above the grass. "Yes! Yes, brave knight! I surrender!"

I gave a halfhearted attempt to pry his arms off, but he took to spinning and running blindly around the yard with my waist in his grasp. I was lightheaded from laughter and twirling around, but Luke felt strong and safe.

"The torrents!" Stu suddenly shouted. Luke set me down, and I instantly fell backwards. He kept his arms wrapped around my waist, and we stumbled over to the young boy, giddy and giggling the whole way. Stu was pointing up at the sky. Then I felt it. The first few drops of rain.

I twisted around in Luke's arms to face him. As we stood looking at each other, a raindrop fell directly onto his nose. We both busted up laughing. Another drop fell on my cheek and I gasped dramatically.

"Ah, I'm melting! No!" Then I put my hands on Luke's shoulders, and my body went limp in his arms. He wasn't expecting the sudden weight, so he stumbled forward slightly. He was laughing as we fell to the ground in a tangled heap.

Stu marched over and apparently decided he wanted part of the fun, so he flopped forward onto Luke's outstretched leg.

"Wha-" Luke sat upright with a wild expression on his face. "I've been slayed!"

I started laughing again and rolled over onto my back. There was a stinging sensation on my arm, and it took me a few seconds before I realized there was a long scratch from my elbow extending to the middle of my forearm. I tried to ignore it, but it was beginning to bleed. With a sigh, I stood and motioned vaguely to the house.

"I'll be right back. I gotta get a Band-Aid."

Luke turned to me with his eyes crinkled in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Of course. It's just a scratch. I don't want to bleed all over the place, you know? Doesn't even hurt. Another battle wound! Right?"

He looked at me for a moment before smiling. "Yeah. Wear them proudly!"

"Watch the kids for me, okay?" I started walking down the side of the house. "Make sure Pip doesn't eat any worms or anything."

Luke saluted. "Will do!"

* * *

><p><em>AN:_

_*hides in shame*_

_Uuaaahhh I'm so out of practice with writing I'm so so sorry. Please don't hate me. I have no other comments than I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank youuu I'm sorry again... Next chapter is all about Chase and his issues (yay for issues)!_

_Thank you for all the reviews! sup3rn0v4 –don't worry about your review, it was perfect, thank you for the feedback and support! :') I appreciate it very much. I also appreciate the reviews of Guest, Marie, TS17isme, 13, IslandGirl892, Alisyndrome, HersheyChocolates101, Purilliana, Skyelara, and ShermanTheWorm. And everyone else of course. :)_

_~ Violet_


	20. The Confession

When I walked into the living room, Chase was sitting on the couch, absently twirling a strand of hair between his fingers. He looked at me in a sort of subdued surprise, as though I had caught him off-guard. He must have just finished cleaning the kitchen.

"Been fifty minutes yet?" he asked.

I shook my head.

Chase stopped twirling his hair and tilted his head at me. For some reason, I felt like I should say something. Or maybe _he_ wanted to say something. I didn't know, so I just sat on the couch, as close to the other end as possible so it wasn't uncomfortable.

I fiddled with the hem of my shirt. "It's starting to rain a little."

"Is it?" The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile. "Oh goddess, does that mean we have to let Luke back in the house?"

"Probably." I smiled back. "Hey Chase?" There was suddenly an overwhelming urge to find out the truth. About something small, at least. So I asked the question I'd been wanting the answer to since I discovered the freckles on his nose. It was impulsive, but the mood was right.

"Remember when you were at the bus stop and Jason pushed you?" I didn't wait for a response because I knew he did. "When I was walking away, you smiled at me. Remember that? Why did you do that? I was with the guy who hated your guts. I didn't even help you pick up your stuff. But you smiled at me."

Chase laughed quietly and dropped his head into his hands, running his fingers through his tangled hair. "Yeah, I remember. Isn't it obvious? You didn't belong with them."

"How do you know...?"

He stared back at me. His eyes were somber and honest, streaked with longing and sadness all at the same time, but also warmth and the softness of velvet. He smiled and my desperation to know melted away. It was just Chase, with everything he was, all the beautiful and the terrible. He would tell me his story his own way.

"My life isn't a tragedy, but it might sound that way if I don't start from the beginning."

I nodded, but he wasn't even looking at me.

"I used to have a good family," he said. "My parents and I lived in a nice house on the west side. My dad was a newspaper editor. My mom quit her job when I was born, but she was a personal chef for wealthy old people. I remember she still visited this one lady and always made me go along. Mrs. Hopkins. She taught me how to play the flute."

"You can play the flute? I had no idea. That's ten more cool points," I whispered excitedly.

Chase raised his eyebrows and grinned, mirroring my expression of stunned disbelief. I stayed that way until his smile faded and he started talking again.

"My life was pretty much ideal, although I don't remember very much about my parents now." He looked away from me and stayed silent for a while. When he opened his mouth to say something more, I couldn't stop myself from interrupting him.

"Wait," I said. "You told me your mom died in childbirth."

He glanced at the wall in front of us. His eyes moved up and down like he was reading something written in circles. "That's right."

"You're not an only child then, are you?"

"I wasn't." He breathed out slowly. "My mom knew the second time she got pregnant it wasn't going to go well. The doctors told her to abort the baby, but she didn't want to." Chase shook his head. "That's how I ended up with no mother, a baby sister, and a drunk for a father."

"A sister?" I stammered. That single word sucked all the air out of my lungs. It sent my head spinning. Everything clicked into place. I must have said, "I don't understand," because the next thing I heard was Chase telling me I did.

"Sure you do," Chase responded, still looking at the wall. "You've met her once before. That's how I knew you were different. You taught her that game with the stick, remember?" His voice was heavy, weighed down with something impenetrable. "Before my mom died, she made me promise to look out for her. That was pretty difficult, having a father who came home drunk every night."

I still couldn't breathe. It was there – nagging and nagging at me. But my mind must have been trying to protect me from realizing it. Something horrible was right there, right in front of me. The pieces were all laid out together, but my eyes couldn't focus on the whole image.

"One night he didn't come home at all. I was an orphan, and yet nothing felt different. I'd been doing all the cooking and cleaning myself anyway."

My lips were moving, just barely, trying to form his name. _Push it away. Push the thought away_.

"Sorry," Chase said suddenly. He was looking at me. His face betrayed all sorts of pain – physical and something that cut deeper, only felt by him. I had no idea what my face looked like, but it must have been bad to invoke an apologetic response. "I just thought you'd figured it out by now. I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay," I heard myself say. "I do remember her. She was beautiful." _Beautiful _got stuck in my throat. I drew a shuddery breath, praying that I wouldn't explode.

Chase pressed his lips together. "Can I tell you something?"

My mind screamed. _No more._ There couldn't possibly be more. But somehow I managed to nod.

"What I did... it wasn't spontaneous or heroic like everyone thinks. It was probably the most selfish thing I've ever done," he said. "I saw he had a knife before we even started walking away. I figured that he was going to try something idiotic like that, but to _me_. Not to you."

"What do you mean?"

His body slumped against the cushion, almost like an act of surrender. "I did it because I knew I would be fine. A long time ago, there was a fire. Like the one in my nightmare I told you about at the hospital. I was twelve. My back was burned so severely, to this day I can't feel anything right below my shoulder. My stomach was being held together by staples. There was no one who cared if I was even breathing. Not even myself."

"Chase..."

"For a while, I stopped being afraid of death. I mean, really, how can you die when you're already dead inside? But you made me promise that nothing bad would happen," he said. "I had to keep that promise. For myself. I thought maybe I could make it up to her somehow... If I couldn't keep a promise to my mother, then maybe I could to you."

"But you didn't have to promise me. If there was no promise, there would be nothing to break," I said. I hated that my voice was beginning to tremble. I had to tell him what I did. I had to. For the moment, I was frantic inside because I couldn't. Because something told me that what happened at the old house was worse than just ruining his life. A tragedy occurred. The way he had acted standing in its ruins, staring at the window, the fire nightmare, the scar. Chase was still talking, going on as though he knew these were the answers to questions I'd kept myself awake over.

"I did it because you always look at me a certain way. It's different from the way you look at anything else, and I don't know what it means. It's like you depend on me for something. Just being around, being there to stare at while you drive, I don't know. I feel like I should care about you, at least a little bit, and even myself, otherwise you'd be putting faith in nothing." Chase looked at me sternly. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

I moved closer to his side of the couch, nodding slightly and feeling every word pierce deep into my chest.

"I bet you do that to everyone," he said. "Make people feel like you're their reason. Maybe I just... maybe I wanted it... another reason to live, I mean. You. It's strange. You've given me this new thought... that I'm glad I didn't die when I wanted to so many times before."

He dug his fingers into his forehead, running them through his hair. Hair that was strawberry blond and always tangled in waves. Just like hers.

"For as long as I could remember," he continued, "Ally was my reason. It was my idea to run away. They were going to put us in separate families... I couldn't keep that promise to my mom if she wasn't with me. Man, I screwed up."

_Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful._

It was her screaming. That cry for help behind the wall of fire wasn't Chase. It was the girl with the full, dark eyelashes, freckles, and the most curious smile. I could hear it, faint, sending every fiber of my body into agony.

Suddenly the screaming became real. It was helpless, broken with sobs and guttural noises. I clasped my hand over my mouth and the sound was muffled. Almost as quickly as it tore out of my throat, the screaming stopped. And I couldn't breathe.

"Hey," Chase exclaimed, sounding half-startled and half-angry. "Hey, Angela. What's wrong with you?"

My lungs ached with pain as I gasped for air. Chase placed his hand on my back. I recoiled, and as my face was buried in my hands, I tried to tell him. I tried explaining the party, the gasoline that I smelled, how I pretended it was nothing, how I pretended I didn't know what Jason might've been planning. I tried to tell him that I was scared and I couldn't call for help. How it was as much my fault as it was Jason's.

Chase would be furious with me. I knew it. I could _feel _it. The dozens of nightmares about knives and dark streets and death... none could compare to how paralyzing this fear was. Because this was real. Telling him the truth, knowing I could easily destroy myself in the process. That was fear.

"What?" His tone, lacking demand and infuriation, startled me. "Angela, I can't understand a word you're saying."

He grabbed my hands and took them away from my mouth. I tried again. My voice was shaking and choked, but he listened. "I stood there and watched as your life burned down, Chase. I didn't get help. I ran. It was a party... and the moment I knew it was more than that, I should've done something. There was gasoline. And fireworks. Jason – he said if I told I would get in trouble. So I didn't do anything. I let her _die_."

"No, Angela," he said in a breathy rush of words. His laughter was a twisted combination of nervousness and guilt. "Ally got angry with me and locked herself in the bathroom. I accidentally broke the doorknob trying to get her to come out, but she was stubborn, just like me – wouldn't you know it."

"Stop trying to—"

"She slammed the door, I left for a while, and when I came back, the whole place was in flames. She could've easily gotten out. But I had broken the knob and it wouldn't open. She was trapped. Now how is that your fault?" He closed his eyes and grimaced. "The last thing I said to her was, 'I'm leaving,' and she said, 'Good.' That's it... _I'm leaving_..."

I drew in a breath, and that's when it all crashed down on me. I felt horrible for years and years, and Chase thought it was fine to tell me that it really wasn't my fault and his sister was actually trapped in the bathroom because of him. It didn't change the fact that I was an accomplice to a fatal fire, or that Jason essentially murdered someone, but at least I understood. Chase was the one who felt guilty. And he knew. He knew all this time that Jason killed her. I hadn't told him anything he didn't already know, other than the fact that I was there too. I was crying before I even realized it. For myself, how stupid I was all those years ago up to today; for Chase and his life and the beautiful girl he lost; and for the way he risked his life in my behalf.

Chase pulled me toward him, closer and closer until my head was resting on his heartbeat. I felt so small in his arms, against his chest, feeling his warmth and listening to his breaths. My crying turned into sobbing. The world was disgusting; I hated Jason and Erin and Cody and even that guy Vaughn for taking my dog.

"I know," Chase said. I hadn't said anything. But somehow, he knew what I was thinking. "It's screwed up." He was touching my hair, moving his hand gently down to my shoulders, tensing his arms around my shaking body, rocking me back and forth. "Don't cry. It's over. You'll just give yourself a headache."

I dug my fingers into the fabric of his shirt. He was right. It was over, and there was nothing either of us could fix. Chase held me against his chest as I cried. He was treating me so tenderly, as though my tears frightened him and he would do anything to make them stop. And I was trying so hard. I ran out of things to cry for, so I was stupidly crying over the fact that I was crying.

I pulled away, all the more furious and upset with every passing thought. "No. You can't forgive me so easily, Chase. It's not that simple. I did something really wrong. It's not fair to me."

"It is simple. You said you were sorry. I said it was okay."

"But I'm not okay."

A smile flashed across his lips for less than a second. "I've already told you that. We'll get you some medication, first thing when we return to the island."

I laughed, but it sounded weak and stupid to my own ears. The noise made tears well up in my eyes. I was crying again before I could stop myself, and in an attempt to salvage some dignity I pushed away from him and hid my face. But he wasn't letting me move. His arms held my shoulders securely and soon all I could hear was the heartbeat in his chest.

The longer I listened to the quiet rush of air drawing into his lungs, the more I realized he was teaching me how to breathe. I closed my eyes. This wasn't what I wanted, for him to see me like this and have to save me again. In a way, though, it felt beautiful; being at the bottom and gazing up at everything, knowing I'd never come back to this place again.

I tried to match him. _Inhale_. There was the thump of his heart and then,_ Exhale_.

My grip relaxed on his shirt, and I felt him lean back against the couch. My ears couldn't get enough of that steady rhythm. His breaths were getting slower. I let the swell and fall of his chest lull me into calm.

He moved, I fell away from the melody, and my head came to rest upon a soft blanket folded across his legs. I wanted to say this wasn't helping. That laying my dizzy head on Chase's lap was the last thing that would help me calm down. It shouldn't have been. For a moment, though, it didn't matter. The fog in my brain was too thick to form and hold onto thoughts like that. So I just closed my eyes, nearly numb to the feeling of his fingers smoothing the hair from my face. I could only imagine what a mess I looked.

"She really liked you," he whispered. "Like I said, that thing with the stick – once she started doing it, she never stopped. It was annoying. Every single fence we walked past, she had to check the 'song' it made. So thank you. You made everyone's lives a bit more musical."

A noise that bordered between a laugh and a sob seized my throat. "I'm sorry," I said, and I hoped he knew what I really meant.

His voice was so quiet I didn't know if I just imagined it or not. It was something from a different time, the past. Maybe even the voice he'd used whenever his sister was upset. "I know," he whispered again. That was the best thing he could've said to me. I didn't really need someone to tell me it was going to be okay. I just needed him to know.

"Tell me about her. Please." I opened my eyes for as long as the heaviness permitted, and even though I couldn't see his face, I knew he was giving me that look. The one where he raises his eyebrow and smiles just barely enough to form that crease near the corner of his mouth.

After what seemed like a full minute of silence, he began speaking. His voice was low and soft and gentle. He told me about their time in the orphanage, the foster home where everything horrible began, the night they ran away, their time on the streets until he found the old house to stay in, and the odd jobs he did for money. He continued, telling me how she always wanted to go to school, but they would've put her back with that family if she was found out. As he kept talking, I realized he wasn't really talking to me. He was just talking, running through memories like a film reel, and I just listened, enjoying the way his words twirled and morphed into pictures from the blackness of my mind.

Some moments were ruined by words, but this moment was different. It was _made_ by words. Chase's voice was like water, smooth and clear, trickling into my mind drop by drop and filling the remotest cracks; places and emotions I'd never visited.

I saw her there, swinging on the little tree at the house I used to visit, long waves of hair tumbling down her back. She was barefoot and had freckles on her nose. There was a blue sky behind her and she was laughing. And with her laughter, I drifted away. Into darkness and warmth and the lullaby of Chase's voice.

* * *

><p>AN: (I don't know how I feel about this chapter... errr... I worked on it so much maybe I worked it to death sob idk I hope you liked it though. ;_;)

So basically I had to strap myself to the chair and disable the internet to get this edited. You'd all line up to punch me in the throat if you knew how long this has been typed up and saved on my computer. I'm so sorry... no, sorry doesn't even cover it. I'm beyond sorry for making you all wait. u_u

I noticed I got some new readers? Hello! Welcome! Thank you so much for giving my story a chance and leaving reviews! :D I am still planning to finish this over the summer (or at least get most of it done). Please keep supporting me! I can't do it without you!


	21. (Another) Unexplained Accusation

I wasn't sure how long I slept, but I could tell enough time had passed for the room to darken in the absence of natural light. My head wasn't resting on Chase's lap; I remembered sometime earlier he had left the couch and told me to wake up. I didn't listen to him.

When I fully opened my eyes, I saw Gill sitting across the coffee table. He wasn't looking at me, but his presence still startled me enough to elicit a small gasp.

He unfolded his arms and glanced over. "Are you all right?"

I nodded, feeling confused and not really okay at all.

"I'm sure you just cried yourself to exhaustion."

There was a funny feeling fluttering in my stomach. Shame. This was actually humiliating, to break down a second time in front of Chase, to fall asleep on his lap, and what's more – to have Gill witness the aftereffects.

"I'm so sorry. Everything is—"

"It's done," he said. Then he stood slowly and walked toward me. He kneeled down beside the couch. "You have to stop thinking about it. I know you feel bad about what happened, but how do you think things would be if it never did?"

"Chase would be living a great life."

"He wouldn't," Gill whispered sternly. "He would've been stuck in an orphanage. He never would have moved to Castanet. You know how he is, Angela. He's not nice sometimes. But if that fire never occurred, he would never have learned what it's like to lose something. Without the things he's gone through, he'd be an even bigger jerk." Gill raised his eyebrows. "Shall I go on? You'd never have met him. I'd never have met him. As much as I hate to admit it, he helped me through a tough time. So stop feeling sorry about everything. He can't move on from the past if you keep letting it get to you."

What he was trying to tell me without actually saying the word was that I was being selfish. And, as usual, he was right.

"I know… I'm sorry."

Gill stood and shook his head slowly. "Angela," he said. "I worry about you."

I brought my hand up and touched the blanket by my cheek, pondering how it was possible that time stopped altogether and allowed me this moment of repose. I wondered what Luke was doing and if he was still looking after the kids, if it was raining, how long I'd been asleep, where my parents were… if I could lay there forever and let my mind go still.

But I'd already taken enough time for myself.

"Where are Luke and the kids? And Chase?" I asked.

"Ah, they're eating dinner," he said. "Chase is... right there."

"Huh?"

"Can't expect too much from someone who left the hospital before they were supposed to. He fell asleep while we were talking."

Embarrassment flared up my neck and turned my cheeks red. Staring past Gill, I saw Chase, sitting right there, in the chair nearest the door. He was in front of me the whole time. I uttered his name in surprise. He opened his eyes a crack. If it was anyone else, surely something would've changed. It would've been awkward in the least. But this wasn't anyone, it was Chase. He wiped the back of his hand across his eyes, glancing at me from behind his wrist. There was a lazy smile on his face.

I swallowed hard. "Sorry... for this. Again."

"Don't say that," he said. "Just forget about it."

"I have—" My sentence was interrupted by a slamming door from the direction of the kitchen followed by laughter. Luke stumbled into the living room with a child attached to his leg and another one trailing behind.

* * *

><p>After reassuring everyone I was okay, we sat around the coffee table in the living room. I nearly laughed when I thought about the fact that, with the addition of the two kids, I was the only girl among five boys. Luke took it upon himself to entertain the children. I felt bad, since I was the one who arranged for it, but he seemed to enjoy playing with them.<p>

Every few seconds between the bouts of stagnating conversation, I glanced over at Gill. He wasn't watching any one thing in the room; sometimes his eyes were fixed on Luke and the kids, sometimes they were on Chase, sometimes they were on me, but mostly they weren't focused on anything at all. He merely stared at the floor.

Then, all at once, Gill stood and hastily walked over to the stairs. I watched him as he nearly missed a step on his way to the top. I glanced at Chase, and judging by his expression, he saw it too.

Upstairs, a door slammed shut. Almost immediately after, my parents arrived home.

"Where did you guys go?" I exclaimed. "You've been gone forever!"

My mom smiled as if she hadn't been 'having lunch' for nearly ten hours. "We were just giving you some space."

"You don't have to do that. It's your house," Chase muttered as he absently turned a page.

"Oh? It seems we have two new additions." My mom looked at the children and kept smiling.

"Yeah. I offered to watch them for a friend – the nurse who looked after Chase," I said. He made a face at my phrasing. "She should be coming by soon."

My dad headed straight upstairs. He was probably eager to watch a sports game on television. Luke, Stu, and Pip were coloring some hybrid hippo-dinosaur-fish animal that Stu drew with neon crayons. My mom sat down on the couch and looked over their shoulders to watch.

"How cool," she crooned.

Gill returned from upstairs and stood next to the couch.

"You okay?" I asked.

"I don't mean to pressure you," he began. By his tone, I don't think he really cared if he was pressuring me or not. "But I need to know what you're planning to do. Are you going to Sunshine Islands?"

"Actually, that's what I was about to tell you earlier..." I glanced at Chase. "I can't go to Sunshine Islands. I don't have much money left. Also, I've been away from my farm for too long. It's kind of irresponsible of me, don't you think?"

Chase let out a short laugh.

No one said anything, so I asked, "What?"

"Nothing, I just think you're right."

We all sat in the living room without much conversation. Gill explained that we would have to leave tomorrow morning to catch the next boat back to Castanet. Unfortunately, I would have to figure out another way to get Roscoe back. Then the younger of the two children lost his balance reaching over the table and fell on his bottom. He began crying. I thought it would pass, but soon his cries escalated into wailing and intermittent screaming. I scooped him up and bounced him on my hip, trying to soothe him, but he continued crying.

Gill narrowed his eyes at me. "Can't you get it to stop?"

"It? It's a boy, not an _it_," I said. "And unless you want to try, I suggest you shut up."

Luke made a weird face, like he was torn between laughing and being serious. "I don't think you're supposed to say 'shut up' in front of children."

Gill stood again in an annoyed huff and ascended the stairs. He went up painstakingly slow, as though every step was a calculation he had to get exactly right. Then, above the crying child, I heard a door slam. Luke took Pip into his arms and bounced him while I attempted to satiate him with a teddy bear. To Chase I said, "Go upstairs and see if he's okay, please? I want to know what all this door slamming is about."

He shook his head, obviously not quite believing I asked him to do that. "You want me to cater to his petulance?"

"There's something wrong. Go see what it is. Please."

The child was beginning to quiet down as Chase tromped up the steps. Stu continued coloring the hybrid mammal as though nothing had happened. At last everything was calm again. My mom gave a strange smile, like she always did when she felt awkward.

"I think I'll go make tea," she said.

Right after she went into the kitchen, Luke turned to me and asked, "Don't you think this is all a little crazy?" I blinked at him, surprised by his sudden question. "Maybe you don't. This is where you're from, after all. I've never been to the city. I've never seen so many people in one place. I haven't hung around Chase or Gill for years, since we were all kids. Chase is actually pretty funny. And I never knew Gill had the ability to show emotion." Luke laughed slightly. "I'm just glad I got to come here with you. Getting to know you was probably the most fun."

I smiled wide, unable to stop myself from giggling. "I'm really glad you came, too. You were basically the only thing that kept me optimistic on this trip. Let's be honest, Chase and Gill can be pretty negative. I love them despite that, but you're a really uplifting person to be around."

Luke's mouth dropped open into a disbelieving smile.

"Wait. Did I really say that?" I closed my eyes tightly and tried to remember what I was thinking less than thirty seconds ago when I blurted the L-word.

"Do you?" Luke asked, breaking out in a teasing smile. "Do you _love _them?"

"Well, it just sort of came out... like, you know, chocolate cake makes me fat but I love it anyway. It wasn't _love _love. Just... love..."

Luke burst out laughing. I tried to explain myself again, but he kept repeating, "Chocolate cake makes me fat," over and over between his hysterical laughter. There were tears in his eyes. And I couldn't help it, I started laughing too.

When he finally stopped shouting the chocolate cake line, I shook my head. "Luke, I think I would die if you or Chase or Gill suddenly left. Is that love? What kind of love is that? Family love? Friend love? Oh..."

"What is it?"

"Luke." I wiped the smile off my face and looked him directly in the eyes. "If you were chocolate cake... you know what I'd say?"

He grinned. "You love me?"

"Yeah, but you're not chocolate cake." I smiled back. "You're better."

His eyes were so golden; they reflected all the warmth and happiness I felt inside me. He leaned in closer. "Better than chocolate cake, huh? What does that make me? Red velvet or something?"

I nodded and laughed. Chase's voice carried down the stairs, and I was instantly reminded of the way it felt against his chest. Then I felt bad. I didn't want a relationship; I just wanted a best friend. But what if Luke did? He had asked me on a date, after all. I couldn't let him think I was leading him on.

"Well you're angel food cake, because your name's Angela. And it fits you."

His smile was so genuine, and I felt all the more guilty.

He knew. Because the next thing he said was, "Don't worry. I'm just having fun with you. It's too cute when you blush like that."

I smiled and glanced over my shoulder to see Gill coming back down the stairs. Chase returned a moment after that, but he stopped at the last stair and leaned against the railing.

"Hey, Gill, what's up with you?"

He sunk into the armchair. "I was trying to find my medication... my headache is getting worse. It's probably the migraine I was dreading."

"A migraine? Do you think it has anything to do with that concussion you got?"

A snort of laughter came from the stairwell. "A concussion? Well, jeez! What'd you do?"

Gill shot him a disapproving look. "What do you think? I was saving your—"

"Children! There are children here!" Luke exclaimed, looking genuinely protective over the children's innocence.

"I didn't know you got hurt like that." Chase scrunched up his face apologetically.

"I'm perfectly fine. You, on the other hand, look like you're on your way to the studio to audition for the role of 'dead man in ditch.' Really, all you need is a ditch you'd fit the part."

"Wouldn't it be unfortunate if you slipped into a coma?"

"That would've happened by now," Gill said, unamused.

Chase started walking back up the stairs. "Maybe it has and you're just dreaming."

I looked over at Luke and Stu and started laughing. The expression on Stu's face was hilarious. His mouth was hanging open in a huge, astonished grin.

"I know what a concussion is," he declared triumphantly. "My sister is a nurse."

Luke laughed, and I heard Chase shut the bedroom door upstairs. He didn't slam it like Gill had.

"So," Gill said, looking uncomfortable. "The kids... Did you invite them? What are you doing with them here?"

"I'm babysitting, Gill. Is this about Elli? I think you might as well face whatever happened because of Kasey. Speaking of... I want to meet this guy. He did a good job with Castanet, didn't he? But seriously, what a jerk for leaving her."

"Kasey? You mean that farmer?" Luke asked.

I nodded, and he started laughing. I had no idea what was so funny.

"That guy... he was weird. He was so determined that he wouldn't even look at you passing in town or anything. I remember one time at the bar... Calvin and Kasey were drinking, he was getting kinda drunk, and he broke something." Luke paused for more laughter. "And Chase, oh my goddess, Chase... he acted like it was no big deal, you know, but I saw him put some of this habanero pepper stuff in his next drink."

Gill sighed. "I'm impressed at the maturity shown by everyone in the situation."

"I know!" Luke said, still wrapped up in the hilarity. I felt like I was missing something. "So I thought he was planning to have Kasey drink the stuff. No-o-ope. Chase was this mastermind – I don't know how he did it – but he was watching everything. Everyone was really starting to get crazy, and at the most perfect moment, he was all, 'Hey, Kasey!' and someone smacked right into him when he looked over. His drink spilled all over. And I mean, everywhere. _Everywhere_. Habaneros are, like, spicy. Worse than jalapenos. You wouldn't want to get that in your eye or anywhere else, really."

"Luke." Gill held up a hand to get him to stop talking, but I saw the smile on his face. "Okay. We get it. I'm sure it was quite the sight."

"It started burning his skin and soaking through his clothes..." Luke was overcome with laughter again. Even Stu found it contagious. For how concerned he was about saying bad things in front of the children, he almost crossed the line with that one.

A knock on the front door made me flinch. It was too early to be Elli, but maybe she got off sooner than expected. When I opened the door, my heart jumped into my throat. Two police officers, flashing their badges, wearing pleasant enough smiles, stood on the doorstep.

"Um." I sent a panicked glance over my shoulder to find Gill staring at us, offering no direction or support. I turned back to the officers. "Hi."

"Hello. Are you Ms. Williams?" The taller of the two policemen with graying hair and a pinched nose tilted his head back at me. I nodded. He continued, "I'm Officer Corbett and this is Officer Everhart. How are you today?"

"Good," I said a bit too quickly.

"We're investigating an assault case, and we need to ask a few questions."

"Um. Me? You need to ask me questions?"

Officer Everhart was younger, maybe in his mid-thirties, and he had golden blond hair that fell right in his eye. He gave a slight shake of his head. "We're looking for Mr. Knight. This was the address given at the hospital."

I stared at them for a few uncomprehending seconds until I found my voice. "Knight? I'm sorry... I don't know anyone by that name. You must have the wrong address."

A short laugh sounded behind me. I turned to see Gill looking at me in disbelief. He stood up and started walking toward the stairs. There was a funny smile on his face, like I just said something hilarious. At the bottom stair, he looked back at me and shook his head, saying, "Angela," in a tone of exasperation.

"What are you doing? What?" The officers were watching me carefully. My face was beginning to burn.

"It's Chase," Gill said slowly. "They're here to talk to Chase."

I felt like an idiot. "Chase... Knight? That's his name?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Sounds so noble, doesn't it? I didn't believe it at first either."

Five minutes later, we were all seated in the living room. Chase sat by me on the couch, clad in a navy blue T-shirt rather than his usual button-down. Luke had taken the kids into the kitchen. The officers sat in the two armchairs across from us, and Gill stood next to the end of the couch.

The interview started with fairly general questions: where we were, what we were doing, what happened. When the officers realized Gill and I were involved in the assault as well, they asked us some questions but remained focused mainly on Chase.

I thought the interview would be over in a few minutes and everything would carry on as normal, but then the officer asked Chase for his address.

"42 Abbey—" He stopped himself and looked at Gill. The expression on his face was utterly lost. He forgot his own address. I almost thought he was going to ask Gill to tell him what his address was. But he just shook his head in disbelief.

"Abbey Hill Lane?" Officer Corbett wrote it down, paused, and then regarded Chase skeptically. "There aren't any houses on Abbey Hill Lane."

"Yeah." He blinked a few times. "Yeah, that's right. Sorry. My address... on Castanet. I live on Castanet Island."

"Castanet Island?"

"Yeah, haven't you heard of it?" Chase glanced sideways and rubbed his face. "Is this over yet?"

Officer Corbett tapped his pen on the notepad. "Is there any reason you can think of that this man might've had to physically attack you?"

Chase didn't say anything. I wondered if the same thoughts were passing through his mind as they were mine. The taunting, shoving, cruel pranks, and all those days gone hungry because of stolen money.

"No," he said. "No reason I can think of. Didn't even know the guy."

Gill looked at me and unfolded his arms.

We all sat staring at one another for the next few moments until the officers finally thanked us and left.

"I was just interrogated," Chase said quietly. "Do they know they wasted their time? I doubt it."

No one spoke. I could hear my mom, Luke, and the children in the kitchen. It was like they were in a separate world. A bright, cheerful world. While Gill, Chase, and I were sitting in a completely different, darker, reality.

"Well," I said, "Mr. Knight, you can go back to whatever you were doing. Knight, though? Really?"

"I'm fine, Miss Williams. It wasn't anything important. And yes. Really."

"Chase," Gill said suddenly, speaking as soon as Chase ended his sentence.

"What, Mr. Hamilton?"

He didn't say anything else, so Chase cleared his throat. "Yeah, Gill? What is it?"

"Ah, never mind. It can wait. I'm..."

I looked at Gill curiously. He was curling his hands into fists and uncurling them at his side. A somewhat frustrated breath escaped his lips and without another word he went upstairs.

Chase stayed silent for a few seconds. Then he stood up and mumbled, "I should see what his deal is."

I sat by myself, listening to the sounds of the kitchen. There was laughter. Upstairs there was nothing. The children seemed happy, no thanks to me. It was because of Luke. His enthusiasm was so contagious, it was nearly impossible not to feel at least a little optimistic around him. I wanted some of that right now. Just when I was about to get up and go into the kitchen, Chase called my name from the top of the stairs.

"What is it?"

"Could you come here?" He wasn't smiling. He usually never was, but this time his expression was cold and unreadable.

Chase didn't wait for me to get to the top before he turned down the hallway and went into the bathroom. The upstairs bathroom was comparatively large to most other bathrooms in the average-sized house. It could fit about five people, just standing around, with plenty of personal space. It struck me as odd that we were gathering in the bathroom, but I didn't question it.

When I stepped inside, I saw Gill leaning with his back against the counter and his arms crossed. He looked like he was just waiting around for a bus, but his face was pale and his forehead glistened. He sent a glare in Chase's direction.

"It's not a big deal. You're just being annoying."

Chase shook his head slightly. "Shut up. I think you need to tell Angela."

"Um. What's going on?" I looked from Gill back to Chase, but neither said anything. The silence lasted for a few seconds until there was a knock on the front door.

"Hey!" Luke's voice carried up the stairs. "Yeah, they were so much fun. What? Why are you giving that...? No, I don't think so."

I could faintly hear Elli's voice, but I had no idea what she was saying. Based on what little of their conversation I could make out, it seemed that Luke had invited her in and they were talking in the living room.

"So is 'Pip' short for anything?" Luke asked.

I strained to hear Elli's answer. "Actually, yeah, it is—"

At that second, Gill pushed the door shut with his foot and whirled on Chase. "Could you stop pretending to be helpful? And mind your own business?"

"I'm sorry? I don't remember getting involved in your business. I just thought you should tell Angela you can't find it so she could get you something."

Gill sighed and uncrossed his arms. "Really, Chase? Do you honestly think I'm blind? And stupid? I don't know what you think you're doing. Helping me? Maybe you should figure out how to help yourself first."

Chase scoffed, at a temporary loss for words. He didn't seem to know what Gill was accusing him of, but he wasn't about to back down from an argument. "At least I can admit my life is screwed up. Are you too good for that? You know all the crap of my life, but when you have a... whatever the heck this is, you act like I make this stuff up? How is that fair?"

"I don't want to talk to you right now."

"I can leave," I said, backing toward the door. Gill wasn't the type of person to start arguments for the sake of starting arguments. Something had happened.

Chase ignored me. "So, what, I'm not good enough to talk to you now?"

"You want to talk to me?" He barked a laugh. "Get out of here."

"What's the matter with you right now?"

I put my hand on the doorknob. "I'm leaving..."

Gill didn't even miss a beat. He said, "Hey, Chase, there's something else you know how to do."

His tone sent tingles and flashes of hot down my arms; it pummeled a fist into my stomach. Chase didn't react right away. He searched Gill's face for a hint of remorse or apology, but there was none.

"Go. You're good at that. Right?"

Chase curled his hands into fists. And lunged. He slammed Gill against the wall. Hard. I heard the air being forced out of his lungs. Then Chase stepped back and grimaced, like he was the one who just got shoved. Gill touched his shoulder gingerly. His face was twisted in confliction; it was the kind of face you'd make while standing in the pouring rain without an umbrella.

Chase was breathing heavily, but he didn't say anything. He had so assuredly misplaced his trust. And had it thrown back in his face. By his best friend, of all people.

He looked at Gill and stepped toward him, but stopped after a moment and pushed his hands through his hair in frustration. "Sorry," he muttered. "I'm sorry I just... I didn't mean to do that... I was just trying to..."

Chase's eyes locked with mine. And then I realized it wasn't anger that drove him to react like that. It was embarrassment. It was a natural instinct for him to protect his pride. But why? Why would Gill say that, knowing full well how deep that would cut?

Gill blinked at him. "Are you... serious?"

"Yeah, I'm serious! I know I didn't do anything to you. I also don't have any reason to be mad at you. But if you ever say anything like that again I'll strangle you." He turned and placed his hand on the door. I watched him slide his hand down until his fingers were cradling the gold knob. He grazed his thumb over the lock and pressed his forehead against the door, lingering for whatever reason.

Then Chase jerked it open. He was gone and only silence remained.

I tried to ask Gill what happened.

"You want to know? I'm already stressed... and then Chase pulls a stupid stunt like this..."

"What stunt?"

The silence settled in again. Gill was obviously in no mood to talk, but eventually he mumbled a response. "Ah, you don't know. How clever of him." He stared at his hand thoughtfully and then shifted his gaze to my face, frowning as he did so. "I'll be going now. The boat leaves tomorrow morning. Don't be late."

"Are you leaving? Where?" No sooner had I asked that than Chase appeared in the doorway. He held out a bottle and practically shoved it at Gill.

"Here, I found it."

Gill took the bottle and stared at it. "What?"

"I said I found it, idiot. It fell under the couch."

He looked up at Chase, then to me, blinking slowly. There was an empty smile on his face; more of a smirk than anything else. "No water?"

"I'll get some." I backed out of the bathroom and went downstairs to get a glass. When I stepped into the living room, Luke sprang up from the couch, asking me what was going on. I said I wasn't sure.

He followed me into the kitchen, watched me fill a glass with water, and followed me back up the stairs.

Gill narrowed his eyes when he saw Luke but accepted the water without saying anything. He shook out three pills and swallowed them all at once.

Luke moved closer into the room. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You're not," he said. "I can tell."

Gill looked like he was going to protest. Instead, he waved us away. "Let's not loiter in the bathroom. Really, everything is fine. I just want to sit in a dark room. Please don't talk to me."

"Why did you come in here in the first place?" I asked. "Did you need something?"

He shook his head, losing patience. "No, I'm standing in the bathroom because I didn't want to throw up in the living room. I'm fine now." His voice wavered slightly. I could tell it was unintentional because he cringed at himself midsentence. "Just leave."

I was the first to comply. Then Luke.

Chase, as stubborn as ever, demanded to know what he was being accused of. A few minutes later, Gill, frustrated and craving solitude, picked up his bag and left.

* * *

><p><em>AN: I'm going to try to be less perfectionistic when it comes to my chapters because I'm just getting worse and worse about it and I end up not posting at all. I want to post polished chapters, but I'll probably go back and revise the whole thing anyway. This is a first draft I guess. I don't even know._

_Sooo… I'm busy, but I'm not going to get any less busy in the coming months so I'll try my best and quit waiting for a break that's never going to come._

_ANYWAY, DUNDUNDUNNN sorry to make you wait! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so so much for all the reviews. Like I mentioned on deviantart, when I reach 10k views (I'm so close ahhh) I'm going to post a side-story for Caught Clueless. Since some people said they wanted to know more about Chase and some said Gill, I just wrote one about them both together. Yay friendship. :p_

_ALSO I SHOULD NOT PLAN ANYTHING! Finish the story over the summer? L O L_

_Finish the story… eventually? Yeah, that's much more likely._

_I love you all thank you so much *cries*_

_This chapter probably made you all go "huh?" but trust me just wait. This is one of those stories that will probably only make sense completely after you read the whole thing. But anyway, thank you again for reading!_

_~ Violet_


	22. What Happens on the Boat

Despite the rows and rows of benches on the ferry, we chose to sit at one of the tables near a window. The floor was bustling with people. Most of the seats were already occupied by the time we boarded. From the energy in the air, I could hardly tell it was an insufferable hour of the morning.

Chase received a few apprehensive looks while we searched for our seats. His face was still badly bruised, and he had a moderately disheveled look about him, but other than that, he was almost back to normal. And I was glad.

Next to me, Luke fidgeted with energy, tapping his foot against the table leg.

"Are you excited to go home?" I asked.

"Oh, it's just that the boat is pretty exciting itself. But I guess I am," he said, smiling. "Thanks for letting me come with you."

Chase blew imaginary hair out of his face. "You invited yourself."

We waited a while for the ferry to start moving. When it finally did, everyone on board seemed to relax, and the low rumble of chatter built up steadily. I looked around for Gill, but I didn't see him anywhere. I couldn't even remember if he returned home last night. He wasn't there when I went to bed, and he wasn't there when I woke up. Chase noticed me scanning the benches and raised his eyebrows, silently asking if I'd found him yet. I shook my head.

"Hey. Chase." Luke leaned into the table. "I wanted to tell you something."

He glanced up. "What?"

"That was pretty awesome. What you did, I mean."

A crease formed between Chase's eyebrows. But after a second, his lips twitched into a smile. He didn't say anything, but Luke didn't act like he expected him to. The acknowledgement was enough.

"Hey, check it out." Chase nodded past my shoulder. I turned to the right and saw a row of people sitting on the bench, their faces weary and their bags shoved haphazardly under their feet. Gill was among them. From where I sat, I could see him clearly. I didn't think he noticed us yet.

"He always looks so serious." Luke imitated the stony expression, which made us both laugh, until a lurch of the boat wiped the smile off his face. "I think I'm going to walk around."

"Can I go with you?" I asked.

He nodded and held his hand out to me. _How chivalrous_, I thought. I accepted his hand like a lady would, and we pretended to be proper on our stroll to the deck.

Luke and I walked up and down the railing for almost an entire hour. We played a game where we had to guess what each other's favorite thing was, like color, animal, food, and season. Luke did a better job than I did. Afterward, I tried to teach him about all the great movies. Star Wars. Gone with the Wind. Titanic. In retrospect, relating the story of the Titanic wasn't the best idea, considering we were on a boat and Luke was trying to suppress seasickness. Eager to change the subject, he told me about things he used to do as a child on the island. I didn't know some of the people he talked about very well. He seemed to realize this, and even though I didn't mind listening to him, he started telling me a story about himself, Kathy, and Chase. Three people I knew fairly well.

Luke told me about a time when they were all around fourteen years old. Kathy talked Luke into going horseback riding with her. Luke, in turn, tried to get Chase to go with him so people wouldn't assume he was on a date. Chase refused multiple times, until finally he agreed only to serve them snacks.

While they rode horses around the pasture, he sat in the grass and made sandwiches. Or _really extreme _sandwiches, as Luke emphasized to me. Once they sat down to eat, Kathy had said something—Luke couldn't remember what it was—but it made everyone laugh. Even Chase. However, the moment was ruined when Luke unintentionally insulted the way his laugh sounded. Luke told me he hadn't heard him laugh the same until the other day at my house. I remembered: his laugh was mostly silent, shaking shoulders, but he did gasp for breath in a way that might have been mistaken for the pitiful sounds of crying. I liked it. At least it wasn't loud and fake.

Just as we entered the seating area and began walking back to our table, I paused. Gill was watching me.

I glanced over to Chase and wondered what he did, or least what Gill thought he did. Luke and I reclaimed our seats across from him, earning a distracted glance in greeting.

"I'm sorry," Luke blurted not even a second later.

Chase ignored him until he noticed my lack of response. Then his eyes snapped to Luke. "Are you talking to me?"

"Yeah." Luke looked at me, then back at him. "I was just thinking about that time you made sandwiches for me and Kathy… and what I said. It was a long time ago…"

He just looked at him. I could tell he remembered. Chase remembered things like that. Little things that made no difference to the world but all the difference to him.

"It probably doesn't matter anymore. But still, I'm sorry. It was… stupid. You know me, I talk without thinking a lot of the time."

"Forget about it." Chase smiled as he said it, but I knew he wouldn't forget this apology. He settled back against the chair and stared out the window, toward home. I wondered what he actually considered home. If it was the city where he was born, where he lost everything, where he grew up faster than any boy should have to. Or if it was Castanet, where he found peace, where he could do what he loved, where he could forget his past.

He closed his eyes.

Maybe home was the same for everyone: that place you could only visit when you were asleep. The place where people who were gone could lie with you under the sky and you could tell them how much you loved them and how sorry you were for everything that went wrong. Maybe Chase never got enough of that here.

Of course he didn't. He couldn't do any of that here.

I looked out the window. All I saw were waves. Blue, rolling, endless. My mind wandered to Luke, and I thought of the date we were going to have. I wondered where we would go. What I would wear. How his eyes would look under the radiance of the moonlight. Then I thought of Roscoe and how I would get him back.

Luke nudged me, and I tore my eyes away from the waves. Chase looked picturesque in the warm glow of orange sunrise light with his head resting against the glass. The way he looked so vulnerable made me remember the way he looked at the hospital when I thought I'd lost him. This was so much different. He was still the same person though, and that made me feel a kind of happiness I never knew existed. That someone else being safe could make me feel safe too.

Soon enough I realized that wasn't what Luke wanted me to look at. I barely had a chance to notice what he was trying to get me to see before it happened. Chase glanced at me, obviously aware that I had been staring at him, but then he jolted forward and scarcely caught himself before smacking his nose on the table. He twisted around, bewildered, and there was Gill. Challenge was written all over his face, but there was a hopefulness about it that seemed innocent.

"Hey. There are other ways, you know, of getting people's attention," Chase said slowly. "You don't have to push me all the time." He gave a little smile and ran his hands through his hair.

Gill smiled back, and I could tell he was relieved that Chase hadn't lashed out. "You looked strangely out of character admiring the scenery like that. I was restoring balance to the world."

"What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you. Do you mind?"

Chase rolled his eyes and heaved a dramatic sigh. "Can't you talk to Angela instead?"

"Just come with me for a second."

He stood hesitantly and walked with Gill toward the doors to the deck. Their conversation began with Gill saying, "I shouldn't have—"

And that was all I heard. They didn't return for fifteen minutes. When they did, I heard the end of their conversation, too. This time they kept talking even while they stood a few feet from the table, as if it didn't matter who heard anymore.

"If I were you, I would've said a lot worse," Chase said. He looked surprised and a bit dazed, like he was having trouble keeping up with the conversation. "Sorry I didn't realize... I _was_ pretty stupid, huh?"

"At least you get it now."

He cleared his throat and slid back into his seat. Then he put his finger on the window. "Hey, Angela, did you see the dolphins?"

I leaned against the window. "No."

He looked at me. His eyes were so deep violet, the reflection of the ocean made them almost indigo. "Right there. See the bird? There's one right under the bird."

Sure enough, I saw a dolphin break the surface of the water. And another. They were swimming side by side.

"Check it out, Luke," I said. He leaned over. Gill moved closer to the window, too.

For once, we were all caught in a moment that didn't belong to us. Everyone forgot their own lives and became bystanders to something honest and unadulterated.

It took me a minute to feel Gill's stare on me. My face began to burn. Why was he looking at me so deliberately?

He stepped back and breathed out, releasing the wrinkles on his forehead. "I wanted to apologize for yesterday. It was unreasonable of me to jump to conclusions and snap at you all the way I did."

"Whatever," Chase said rather noncommittally, so I wasn't sure if he meant it or not. "You had a migraine, right? Head injury or something?"

"That wasn't the problem. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time again. It wasn't your fault as much as I made it out to be."

"Again, you say?" Chase went back to staring out the window. "Actually, it's the opposite. Those situations would be considered the right place at the right time, if I was going to do the right thing. But I usually don't."

"What are you talking about? There was nothing to do. Don't say meaningless things. We're almost back home; you can just let it go."

Chase turned his electric eyes toward me. "Angela, I told you a story about me in the city. Remember? Gill let me stay at his apartment. It's not because I was drunk or anything like that—"

"Wait, you're going to…" Gill interrupted, but he didn't even finish his own question.

"No, of course not. I was just saying that… the way you helped me… I'm sure that's called doing the right thing." He gave a small sigh and grinned. "Now, as for me, I beat somebody up, I don't recycle, and I stick my chewed gum under tables."

"You do recycle, though," Gill said.

At the same time, Luke blurted, "That's gross! You would never do that to a table!"

I shook my head. "It's like a competition and you're both keeping score. If you think you're a good person or a bad person, it doesn't matter. You're good people to each other. That's called being friends. You wouldn't spend so much time analyzing the meaning behind every action if you just realized that."

They both looked at me blankly.

"Remember when I first met you, Gill? Remember when I asked if you were friends? I'm pretty sure your exact words were, 'Yeah, we've been friends ever since he came to the island' or something along those lines."

Chase laughed. "I think you got the wrong term there, Gill. You meant to say, 'We've been aware of each other's presence ever since he came to the island.' That's a little more accurate."

Unamused, blue eyes stared at him. "_Painfully _aware."

Luke was no longer able to stand the mystery. I could see him tensing up, the muscles in his jaw working. "Why'd you bring that up? Maybe we're all feeling a little guilty, huh?"

"Guilty?" Chase echoed. The smile dissolved on his face, leaving only a crooked, gaping O. He absently rubbed a thumb over the stubble on his chin. "There's nothing— well… no, it's not like that. I don't feel guilty."

_Really?_ I wondered to myself. _How hard was it to force those words out?_

"Keep this to yourself, all right Luke? Don't talk about anything I said. Or anything that happened on the trip."

Luke tipped his head in affirmation. "Sure, but I still don't get it."

I glanced at Gill, who seemed like he wanted to say something. It was silent, so he had the chance. But he kept quiet. Did Chase tell us that snippet of a story for his sake? Was he trying to direct our attention away from Gill?

I realized that, yes, there was no other reason for bringing up that story. He intended to embarrass himself, or at least to give me and Luke something else to wonder about. Maybe he was proving something. Whatever it was, it only meant that what Gill had told him really _was_ that bad.

Watching them, not even looking at each other yet knowing exactly what the other was thinking, I could only wonder what the transcript of their unspoken dialogue would look like.

"You didn't have to tell me any of that," Gill said finally. There was a certain tone in his voice that led me to believe he didn't mean it, and maybe he was actually grateful. "I'm going back to my seat now."

"Sit here with us," I offered. "Look, there's an open spot next to your best friend."

Chase snorted with laughter while Gill shifted his gaze toward the wall, blinking at nothing, and then walked away.

"That was too much, Angela."

"I don't understand."

"Way too much." He was smiling. "God, I can't wait to get back. You're all so stifling."

* * *

><p><em>AN: I wanted to update with this chapter after I started the side story, so here you go! You can find the side story to Caught Clueless by going to my profile and clicking on the story titled "Say Something." This chapter isn't really my favorite, but hopefully I'll try to get the next one out faster to make up for it? Actually, I will probably be uploading the rest of the side story before I continue CC. Or maybe both at the same time. I'm not sure. As always, sorry for the delay. I had all four of my wisdom teeth taken out and the recovery has been very painful. ;u;_

_Thank you so much for all the reviews and follows/favorites! We made it past 11k views O-o I can't believe it! I'm so grateful!_

_~ Violet_


	23. Triumphant Return

Our arrival to the quaint Castanet Island was anticlimactic, to say the least. I had expected fanfare or balloons or maybe a person to welcome us, but not even Pascal was standing on the dock. It was just another easygoing day for these people, not the triumphant return from hell it felt like for me. Pushing those thoughts aside, I walked past the row of shops toward home, alone for the first time in what felt like forever. The four of us had somehow staggered our departures from the boat. Gill was the first to leave, and then me, but Chase and Luke were still busy messing around with who knows what.

Up ahead I saw Gill approach his house, but before he could touch the door it swung open and his father pulled him into a hug. A faint smile tugged on my lips when I noticed the embrace wasn't exactly returned, but it was the perfect father-son moment. Gill pulled on his bag, adjusting his grip, as if to make his priorities clearer. _Unpack first, hugs later_, is what I assumed.

Their front door closed, and I kept walking. The sun was beginning to wake up and cast its heat down on the island. I pulled my jacket off just as my farm came into view.

Kathy and Renee were out in my field, watering the crops they had generously started for me. I had left them money beforehand to complete the task, but as I watched them, I began to realize something. Everyone always did things for me, but I never did anything for them. Somehow I would have to change that.

I stumbled forward suddenly as something, or rather someone, ran into my shoulder.

"Hey watch whe—" Chase stopped his sentence short when he caught my gaze. "Ah, sorry."

I blinked, too surprised to speak.

"Well?" he asked impatiently. "Are you deaf? Hurry up and go see the doctor about getting yourself on some meds, all right? In the meantime, the posse awaits you." Chase waved his hand in the general direction of the now gawking Kathy and Renee. Then he lowered his voice. "My face—how bad is it?"

It was strange, but over the past few days I had grown accustomed to seeing the bruises coloring his skin purple and blue. Around the edges of his injuries, his skin had started to turn yellow. I could still see the dark crimson split in his lip too.

"Well, if your excuse is that you walked into a pole, it isn't going to fly. You'll either need make-up or a better excuse."

"Still bad, huh? I wonder if it's too late to ice it," he mumbled. I could only shrug, helpless, as he turned and continued down the path, touching his face gingerly.

When I looked back at my farm, I saw Kathy running at me, arms open wide. I laughed, threw my own arms out, and sprinted toward her. It was like a reunion scene from a cheesy comedy movie. We crashed into each other and fell over on the grass, giggling and asking each other a hundred questions at once, until she silenced and bored her eyes into mine.

"What was that about with Chase?" Kathy paused for my answer, but I hesitated too long and she started talking again. "I can't believe he went with you. It's great to have you both back. It would be an awful thing if Chase ever heard this, but the bar wouldn't last too long without him."

For some reason, that made me smile. I wanted to jump up and shout _See? Chase is cool! I knew he was cool! _Instead, I stood and pointed toward my field excitedly. "How's my farm doing? I've missed it."

Her eyes lit up. "Great! Look at your field!"

I hugged Renee in greeting before I examined my humble plot of land. There were two rows of crops planted. At this point, it was a bit early to tell what they were. I thought I saw sunflowers, and maybe tomatoes. Gill would like that.

"Thanks. You guys are the best." I walked over to my cow, Amelia, and patted her back. "You're looking as adorable as ever. I promise I won't leave you ever again."

Everything felt so new again, like I was rediscovering island life. I went to my house and peeked inside. Same as ever. My feet carried me to my bed and I flopped down on it. As I turned onto my side and looked at the walls, I realized that I hadn't been on the island for more than an hour and already my mood was uplifted. The city had depressed me.

"Get your butt out here and water your own darn plants," Kathy commanded from the doorway. I laughed and rolled off my bed.

When I got outside, I pointed to a row of sprouts and asked, "Are those tomatoes?" To my delight, Renee nodded.

I then filled up my watering can and let it rain down on my little tomato sprouts. After I did that a few dozen times and bid goodbye to my two loyal friends, I went to visit Luna. I knew she would be upset if she found out I had come back and neglected to say hi to her.

* * *

><p>As soon as I entered the tailor's shop, I made sure to greet Candace. Whenever Kathy, Luna, and I hung out here, she was always an invisible presence. She sat in the corner, her face obscured by her hair, and busied herself with sewing. I felt bad for her. Maybe she didn't mind being alone, but I knew those kinds of people could still get lonely too.<p>

Candace gave a timid wave in response to my greeting. "If y-you're looking for L-Luna, she's in her room. You can g-go in."

I nodded politely and walked through their kitchen. Luna's door was closed so I knocked twice, but I didn't bother waiting for permission to open it. She was sitting on her bed and thumbing through a magazine. Her dark blue eyes snapped up and focused on me as soon as I stepped into her room. Then she hopped off the bed and took my hands in hers.

"Angela!" she exclaimed. "Perfect timing. I need your opinion on something."

"Nice to see you too." I smiled and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Okay, I'll try to be helpful."

A blush spread across her cheeks the moment she opened her mouth. "Well, it's about a guy. I've been thinking about it a lot, ever since you and Chase. I think I was a little envious of your relationship. I really shouldn't like this guy, but I think I do. He already broke my heart once. I'm not sure if I should give him another chance. It just feels like he's the one. You know what I mean?"

Despite everything that happened over the past few days, I had never been more confused in my life. She was envious of the relationship between me and Chase? What was she even seeing? I cleared my throat, though the action was unnecessary and just made me feel embarrassed. "Uh, yeah, I know what you mean. What did… this guy do to you? Is it a forgivable offense?"

She heaved a sigh of frustration. I had a feeling I knew where this conversation was going. Some part of me was hoping I was wrong and she was talking about a different guy, but I knew it really didn't matter either way.

"I'm talking about Gill." She said it as though I never would have guessed. "Even the sound of his name makes me angry. I hate him for making me like him. After everything he's done, I can't forgive him that easily." She shook her head and some pink strands of hair came loose from her pigtails. "He left me. I mean, we weren't officially dating since I was only thirteen at the time, but he should have known how much I liked him. He said he was going to wait for me, and then one day I woke up and he was gone, with not so much as a letter saying goodbye. I waited years, Angela. _Years_. Then he came back and he was _different_. He never said hi to me anymore or complimented me on my dresses like he used to. I… missed him. I still do."

Luna looked down, and I found myself at a loss for words.

She began pacing back and forth in such a short distance that it looked almost like she was spinning and spinning. "He made me wait for him all those years, and if I would have known he _changed_, I would have found someone else. I would have said yes to Julius, but _no_, I had to save my kisses and hugs for someone who didn't even want them."

I glanced out her window and saw a little bird on a branch, looking at me. "I understand," I said. "But you like him, though. You blushed when you said his name."

The bird cocked its head at me and hopped onto the sill. At the same time, Luna threw her hands up. "I've been thinking, and I've decided that maybe he's served his sentence long enough. Maybe I should just give him another chance and stop giving him the cold shoulder."

"I'm sure he'll be happy to know that." I wondered why it was so difficult to muster sincerity in my words.

"Yeah, and don't you think we'd make a good couple? His eyes are light blue, mine are dark blue. We both have the same style: sophisticated and mature. He's the mayor's son," she added seriously. "It's perfect."

Maybe that was why. Luna could be shallow at times. I wanted to tell her that she was wrong. She and Gill were nothing alike, other than being business-oriented. He was grounded, and her head was filled with airy, unrealistic thoughts, like how the world revolved around her. He was a great listener. If it didn't involve something Luna was interested in, she ignored the conversation. Gill was calm; she was high-strung. I almost laughed at myself out loud. Everyone said that opposites attract, and if _everyone _was right, I had just described the perfect couple. They were opposite in almost everything, except their uniting love of success. But something inside me refused to let me believe it would work between them. There was no explanation for it. I just couldn't see it.

"You'd make a great couple." I smiled as brightly as I could. "You're both so hardworking."

"Thanks, Angela," she said, and I think she actually meant it. "I wasn't sure if I should go for it, but now that I've gotten your opinion, I think it's a good idea."

"Me too. You have to tell me what he says."

"I will, I will. Now go, I have to fix my make-up. I'm going to ask him if he wants to go to dinner tonight. It's fine if the lady makes the first move, right? His dad said he's been sick all week but I saw him outside earlier. So maybe he's well enough to go."

She didn't wait for my answer. I was pushed out the door within seconds.

* * *

><p>Hours later, I sat at the bar after dinner and made idle chitchat with Chase's back. He occasionally tossed an "mmhm…" or a "yeah?" over his shoulder as he prepared dishes for the customers. He wasn't really listening to me. Neither was I, for that matter. I was just doing something to pass the time. I hadn't seen Luna yet, so I was beginning to wonder if they ended up making other plans. I didn't know why I had come to the bar. It was pretty low of me to be here if I was only interested in spying on Gill and Luna. That wasn't entirely true, I realized. I didn't have any ingredients at home for a proper meal yet, and I would never refuse a chance to eat Chase's cooking.<p>

There were a few older adults sitting around the tables—Dale, Jake, and Ramsey—and the clatter of drinks and hollow conversation created quite a homey atmosphere unlike any restaurant in the city. It was so homey, in fact, that I was able to recognize their laughter as obligated, and not exactly as joyous as appeared at first glance. These people buried their problems during the day for the sake of their children, but at night they plummeted into despair and rounds of cocktails. Jake seemed to have an envious relationship with his wife, Colleen, so I immediately pegged him as someone who drank solely because his peers did. And of course there was Owen, who simply liked to drink.

"Staring off into space again, huh?" Chase leaned against the counter after passing off a dish of bouillabaisse to Kathy. A bored expression lay comfortably on his features. I was glad he was back in the kitchen where he enjoyed himself. He still hadn't gotten his stitches removed, though. I could only imagine his dread at going to Jin and explaining his injury. A few scars were visible to me, although I hoped the ones I saw were only temporary. He had become increasingly reliant on countertops and walls to alleviate his lingering pain. If he kept it up, people might start to notice.

"I was just profiling the customers," I said, twisting around in my chair toward the dimmed room. "Dale is on his fifth one."

"You must be bored."

Kathy waved an order ticket in front of Chase until he snatched it out of her hand. Then she stopped at the register and leaned forward. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Check it out." She nodded discreetly to the window, and I got up and walked over to it.

Luna and Gill were standing outside. I assumed things didn't go according to plan, because it appeared as though they were arguing. Well, Luna was doing most of the arguing while Gill looked annoyed. He finally said something back to her, and I would have paid good money to hear what he said because it evoked a slap across the face.

A gasp escaped my lips as I watched Gill bring a hand up to his cheek where it was immediately turning red. Luna stormed off in tears, and he just continued to stand there. He made no attempt to go after her.

Kathy was suddenly at my side, and the expression on her face was one of pure bewilderment. "I didn't know she would do something like that. I have to admit, though, he had it coming."

"Who had what coming?" Chase had abandoned his post at the kitchen and was now looking over my shoulder at the window. He pushed a chair out of his way and stepped closer. "Oh. What's he doing just standing there?"

I didn't know how to answer.

Kathy spun around on her heel and threw a towel over her shoulder. "Luna smacked him."

"And he calls _me _smooth." Chase leaned in closer to the window and furrowed his brow. He stood there a few seconds before returning to the kitchen.

_How could they be so nonchalant about this?_

Gill dropped his hand from his face and stared at it. He looked defeated, and I realized it had hurt him to reject Luna. Why hadn't he just said yes to her?

I walked back to the bar and sank down in a chair. Less than a moment later, the door opened and illuminated the dark room, bringing with it a sultry breeze. I didn't have to turn around to know it was Gill. He slid into a seat near me and we both remained silent. His eyes were dark and laden with heavy fatigue. The raucous voices of the other patrons carried throughout the bar and isolated our little corner of quietude. Gill ran his fingers through his hair and absently rubbed his face as the color settled into a bright pink across his cheek. A drink seemed to materialize out of nowhere in front of him, and I barely caught Chase's smirk before he was swallowed up by the shadows of the kitchen once more.

Gill brought the glass to his lips and hesitated. After taking a sip, he shook his head slightly. I wasn't going to ask any questions. Not yet, at least.

Kathy appeared, notepad in hand, and flashed a well-practiced, undiscerning smile. "You want to order something?"

"No, thank you. This is fine." He swallowed more of the liquid as his blue eyes met the back of Chase's slouched figure. "Whatever _this _is."

"You like it?" Chase spun around with a devious grin. Some of his hair had fallen out of the pins' hold and stuck out in a wild, messy fashion. At that moment, he reminded me of a mad scientist. Crazy and careless.

"It's quite bitter. A little hard to swallow with the burning and such," Gill said, rolling the bottom of the glass on the counter without spilling a drop.

Chase laughed and only affirmed my deranged chemist theory. "Then it fits you perfectly. I was considering having it added to the menu, named in your honor."

"How generous."

Chase nodded and hung back, leaning against the counter. He surveyed the room with little interest. Too bored to even take a break, I supposed. Over in the corner by the piano, Selena was displaying her repertoire of exotic dance moves. Few glances were spared in her favor, save for Owen and Luke.

As much as I tried not to, I saw how he was watching her. His golden eyes followed her every move.

"Chase?" I asked.

I had caught him gazing at a nearby chair. He was probably thinking about taking a break and sitting down, but that would have been unusual behavior and aroused unneeded suspicion. "What's up?" He used that as an excuse to lean over the bar and rest his head in his palm, propped up by his elbows.

I tried my best to put on a smile and act like I didn't care. "See Luke over there?"

His eyes wandered across the room.

"What does it look like he's doing?"

Chase gave me a lazy smile. "Ogling Selena."

"But you barely looked!"

He shrugged and pulled the towel from his shoulder to begin wiping glasses off. "I don't have to. Same thing every night."

Something felt weird. If Luke actually liked me, he shouldn't have been staring at Selena like that. I sighed. He was a great guy. I was being a little hypocritical, anyway. Here I was criticizing him for just looking at Selena, when I was sitting there hanging out with two other guys. I used to stare at Gill like that too, until I realized there was an actual person underneath those aristocratic good looks. Now I was used to it. Mostly.

I glanced at Gill's beverage; it looked like plain old tomato juice to me. Despite how many times he had taken a drink, it was still half-full.

He suddenly pushed away from the bar and coughed into his arm.

I knew the alcoholic concoction had made him cough, but I felt like that was my chance to ask. Hopefully he would know what I really meant. "Are you okay, Gill?"

His eyebrows pushed together, and he returned my concerned expression with one of displeasure. He knew. "Fine. Everything's fine."

"I just thought…"

"I should go now." He pulled out some money and placed it on the bar. Without another word, he left.

When Kathy stopped to collect his money, I muttered a complaint to her.

She laughed. "Get used to it. He's socially inept. I'm surprised he was talking to you in the first place. I can't remember the last time I've had a real conversation with him."

I opened my mouth to tell her that he'd been talking to me a lot lately, but then I remembered I wasn't supposed to tell her he had gone to the city. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." She leaned in closer so that Chase wouldn't overhear. "I think I know why he turned Luna down." A sly smile followed as she backed away and began chatting with Owen. I was left stunned and speechless. That couldn't be true.

Absolutely not.

* * *

><p><em>AN: IM BACK. I had to write a short story for my creative writing class, which took a lot of time to brainstorm and then I ended up scrapping each idea and I wrote it all from scratch two days before it was due. Having my story torn apart by college students is scary but awesome. The consensus seems to be that my strong points are character and dialogue, but I should work on keeping the plot details consistent. (Darn you, highly irrelevant but somehow necessary squirrel scene!) _

_Ok ok so the gang is back on Castanet and Chase is being dumb and Gill is oblivious?! Is there any hope for Roscoe? Ahh! This is one of those chapters that I wrote like 500 years ago so it might appear as though my writing has regressed, but I assure you that is temporary._

_What do you think of this chapter? Reviews are happiness for me. I'll give you all virtual hugs just for reading, though. :) Thank you!_

_~ Violet_


	24. Sought and Fallen

It was a few minutes past midnight when incessant, stern knocking woke me from sleep. Immediately I panicked because I couldn't remember where I was. Everything around me was dark and the cool air chilled my skin. Moonlight streamed in through the windows in the places where my makeshift curtains failed to cover. Groaning, I rolled out of bed. At first I was annoyed—who on earth would visit at midnight? Who...? I began to think. There were no good explanations for this. Maybe something had happened with Amelia.

Right before I opened my front door, a final thought struck into my mind like a sharp, piercing arrow. What if something had happened to _someone_? My heart raced as I opened the door.

Luna was huddled against the doorpost, sniffling, with a hand poised to knock again. "Angela, I need to talk to you."

She pushed past me and found a seat on the sofa before I could even comprehend what was going on. I hesitantly closed the door and turned to face her. "Is everything okay?"

"Well… no. But, um, may I have some tea?" she asked. Her eyes were red, as were her nose and cheeks. She had been crying.

I nodded.

"Gill... he said no. He told me that he couldn't date me. And he said I should move on because I was never going to hear a yes."

I looked down at the kettle I was holding. Water sloshed around inside, but I couldn't remember filling it just now. All I could think was that nothing terrible had happened. It took a few moments to realize this and calm down.

"Is that why you slapped him?" I finally asked.

"I know. It was so unlike me, but I couldn't contain my anger. He _rejected _me. I thought..." she trailed off. "I thought he would be happy. But maybe... maybe he likes someone else. I saw him talking to you, Angela, and I wondered if it was you. It's not though. Right? I mean, you'd tell me. You wouldn't have let me make a fool of myself. Right?"

"Huh? Of course." I nodded quickly. "I was just sitting there and he came in. We hardly spoke. I promise there's nothing going on between us. We're just friends. Besides, you said it yourself..."

"What?"

"Well, nothing." I was going to mention Chase, since Luna seemed to think we had a relationship. But that would have been the most thoughtless comment I'd ever made. I had to stop talking before I said something dumb. There was no relationship there. I would've just said it to alleviate her worries about me and Gill.

Luna waited for me to bring her a cup, and then she held it, silently staring into the dark liquid. After a while, she said, "Then why did he turn me down?"

I shrugged and shook my head. That's what I wanted to know.

"Will you talk to him for me? Find out why he doesn't want to go out with me. I have to know."

I should've expected that question. It was only logical. I really didn't think he would tell me anything, but I agreed nonetheless. It was something I was curious about too, and now I had an excuse to ask. Thinking about them together… it made me uncomfortable, like I would be letting him go. But I thought he should at least give it a chance. I thought I should too.

* * *

><p>It had been a few days since Luna's midnight visit. It was taking a little longer than expected to work up the courage to talk to Gill. Meanwhile, though, farm products had finally brought in enough money to pay off my house debt. So with five thousand G in my pocket and a bounce in my step, I entered the Town Hall.<p>

"Hello Angela." Hamilton was standing behind the counter. I could hardly believe he used to give me the creeps. Now that I knew he was just the overzealous, doting father of Gill, I had to give him credit. He had lost his wife, raised a child on his own, and ran the town, all with a bright smile on his face.

"Hi, Mr. Hamilton." I waved slightly and set my rucksack on the counter. As I began to search my pockets for the money, his smile faltered.

"Is something wrong?"

His lips twitched up instantly. "No, it's just... my son. He seems a little off lately, but I'm sure it's nothing."

"Is he okay?"

Hamilton's face turned apologetic, like he was sorry for having negative feelings. "Actually, I'm worried about him. The poor boy does nothing but paperwork. Ever since he came back from the city, he hardly talks to me anymore. I could hear him pacing his room all night, and writing. He's always writing. Or 'thinking,' he tells me. Gill is so stubborn sometimes, just like his mother…"

I placed the money on the counter and bit my lip. "I wish there was something I could do."

"Maybe he'd talk to you." Hamilton nodded, seeming quite sure of himself at this new idea. "Since you're both young, and he seems to get along well with you."

I almost laughed. That made two people who wanted me to talk to Gill. How could I say no? But if he refused to divulge any secrets, they were both out of luck. "I'll do my best," I said.

Hamilton glanced down at my payment and smiled. He encouraged me to now purchase a house upgrade at the Carpenter's, and I didn't have it in me to tell him I'd already begun home renovations myself. The inside was fine, but the outside was still in disarray. The siding was missing in some areas, revealing the bare wood underneath. That had to be saved for another day. There was too much to think about right now, especially since I recently added chickens to my family.

I said goodbye to the mayor and turned down the path toward his house.

There was a strong sensation of déjà vu as I knocked three times on the front door. I waited and waited; the more I waited, the more I felt déjà vu from a completely different time. I remembered the surprise that awaited me when the door was finally opened. This time, though, no one answered. Feeling slightly dejected, I began the trek back to my farm.

When I reached the little stream near my property, I glanced around for Amelia. I had let her out to graze earlier, but I didn't see her anywhere now. There was a strange, long shadow under the tree near the water. That's when I spotted Amelia several feet behind the tree, staring at it and chewing lazily.

I began jogging toward her, but then I stopped once I saw what, or rather, who was standing under it. Gill.

He didn't notice me walk up to him. His eyes were focused intently on some distant, faraway spot, and his arms were behind his back like an executive surveying the view from his new office. For a few minutes, I just stood there, watching him. Eventually I had to break the silence.

"Hey Gill. Mind if I join you?" I asked.

His head turned at the sound of my voice. The blue in his eyes was the same color as the sky. "No."

I stood next to him, crossed my arms, and pretended to see what he saw. "I didn't know you enjoyed the outdoors."

"It's all right sometimes," he said. His arms fell to his sides, and I noticed he was holding a book. "My father insisted that I do something other than work today."

"I see you take direction well." I smiled and motioned to his book. "What is that anyway?"

"It's my journal. I write down everything important so I don't forget. I've been thinking of ways to improve the island for everyone. I want Castanet to reach its full potential. That's where I keep my ideas."

"That's amazing. I'm sure you're going to be a great mayor."

Gill didn't say anything. He continued staring out at the pond.

"Do you know what's over there?" I asked.

"Hm?"

I pointed to the distance opposite the ocean. "Past all the trees and the hills."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't suppose anything is out there. Probably the shoreline. This is an island, after all."

"I'd like to see it someday. Maybe we could make an expedition to go check it out and map the entire island."

He smiled. "You let me know how that goes."

"No on the expedition?"

"That's what makes this island so beautiful. There's an enormous amount of land untouched by humans."

"Wouldn't you like to see it, though?" I turned to face him. He had one hand tucked in his pocket, and that's what made me realize what I liked about him. He was always composed and levelheaded; the very definition of cool. Chase was cool too, but in a different way. Gill was relaxed. Even when he was angry, he was always collected. Unfortunately, it was also what I hated about him. I could never read him.

"My interest lies solely in the town. I'll leave expansion to future generations, so they can regret introducing the people to untapped resources, and not me." He smiled again.

"You know what? I like your glasses. They make you look smart and professional."

"Thanks," he said quietly. "Maybe you should get a pair."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." He held his hands up in defense. "I was joking."

I laughed and gave him a light shove. "I know. You're funny when you joke around."

"Oh, now I'm smart, professional, _and _funny? I'm the complete package then."

"Every girl's dream," I drawled.

He laughed, and then we both fell silent.

"Gill, can I talk to you about something?"

"Is it about Chase?" He pressed his lips into a line as he waited for me to respond. I really couldn't tell if that prospect bothered him or not. Before, he had told me he didn't like talking about him, but he never refused to answer my questions. Maybe he thought it was better if I asked about Chase rather than himself.

I shook my head. "It's about you, actually."

He instantly closed himself off from me. His eyes resumed their usual half-lidded disinterest, his mouth formed a tight frown, and he didn't speak. _Did _he like me? I couldn't stop thinking about what Kathy said. It made no sense. We were just friends. Gill knew that I didn't want a boyfriend, and besides, I'd hardly done anything to attract his attention.

"Why did you say no to Luna?"

He sighed heavily. "Is that any of your business?"

"Hey, what's that about? I was just asking. You and Luna are both my friends. She loves you. You already knew that, though. So why don't you love her back?" I paused, searching for the right words to prompt a reaction. "She thinks you hate her."

He crossed his arms and then dropped them and sighed again. "No, that's not... I didn't mean for her to think that. I just don't want to go out with her. Does it matter why?"

"Is there someone else?"

"Someone else?" he repeated.

I nodded.

Gill stayed silent for a long time. He was shaking his head.

"No?" I tried to get him to explain. A simple shake of his head wasn't enough to tell Luna.

"You're asking if I turned her down because I'm interested in someone else? No. It's just me. My reason is only about me. For all I care, she can hate me her entire life. She doesn't understand."

"What about me? Would I understand?"

Gill shook his head again.

I wanted to scream. I was getting nothing from him. Whatever he was hiding, he wasn't going to tell me. Then, all at once, I thought maybe there _was _nothing, and he was being honest with me. I didn't know.

"Okay," I conceded. "Okay. I believe you. There's nothing going on. You promise? You're okay?"

His blue eyes were staring at the ground. He turned away from me the slightest bit and tipped his head down, an almost imperceptible nod. "Yeah," he said. "Everything's fine." When he looked at me again he was smiling. "This level of concern is... appreciated. But it's a little bizarre. I'm okay, really. I don't know what would have you thinking otherwise."

* * *

><p>It was late in the afternoon when I stopped by the Inn to see Chase. He was in the kitchen with Yolanda. The older woman was showing him how to clean and prepare squid for cooking. Based on his sulky expression, he already knew how, or at least thought he did. Yolanda, on the other hand, was shaking her head at his work.<p>

"Take your time," she said. "There's no need to handle it like that. It's already dead."

Chase scowled. "I'm being careful."

"It looks like an execution," I chipped in.

His head snapped up, and he raised a sharp, slimy knife from the poor cephalopod. "Here to antagonize me?"

"I have to ask you something. I'll wait until you're done, though."

And wait I did. I sat at a table and watched them. Chase continued to struggle with handling the squid carefully. Yolanda commended his technical ability, but his manner was apparently a little harsh for her liking today. She regarded him with the slightest hint of curiosity throughout the entire lesson and eventually dismissed him and told him to come back when he was in a less foul mood.

He looked incredulous but somehow managed to keep his mouth shut.

"Chase," she began as he was removing his apron, "what happened to you?"

He looked down as though the answers were written on the floor. After a moment he folded his apron and slung it over his arm. "You're the first person to ask," he said. "So I guess I'll tell you honestly. When I was in the city, I killed a man."

Yolanda clicked her tongue and waved a hand to shoo him away.

Chase smirked and took a seat at my table. He placed the apron in front of him and laced his fingers together on top of it in a business-like way.

"I have a favor to ask of you," I said.

He glanced up at the ceiling. "I'm not really in the favor mood today, if you hadn't noticed."

"Are you ever?"

"Yeah, when I'm feeling generous. But I'll hear you out. No promises though."

"I was wondering if you could hang out with Gill tomorrow and talk to him for me. It's important. I already tried myself."

Chase's eyebrows pushed together quizzically. "Do I even want to know where this is going…?"

"Probably not. Just answer the question. It's serious."

He smiled, not totally convinced, and nodded. The chair creaked as he leaned back and contemplated my question. "I don't know. I think we've spent plenty of time together on our little trip. What's this about?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

He blinked at me. I knew that was a fairly stupid question. This was _Chase _I was asking, after all. "There's something going on with Gill. I know you've noticed it too. He's acting weird lately. His dad even asked me to see if I could find out what's wrong."

"That's not a secret. He _is _weird."

"Chase, please." I sighed. "I need to find out what it is. I'm honestly worried about him. And…"

"And?"

"I think he might, um, _like _me."

Chase gasped. "Oh my gosh."

Jake glanced up from across the room, his eyes wide in confusion.

"Stop it, will you?" I whispered harshly. "I'm being serious. I mean, why else would he have rejected Luna?"

"I don't know." Chase continued with his teenage girl imitation. "Maybe we should, like, do something with our lives instead of sit here and talk about Gill's lady troubles."

"Lady troubles? Where are you even from?"

He wiggled one eyebrow and curled his lips into a mischievous smile.

"Are you still taking that pain medication? I think you should stop. I'm being serious here—"

"Oh my _god!_"

Jake jerked his head up with a bewildered look on his face. I busted up laughing and instinctively reached out to smack Chase's arm. Tears began to form in the corners of my eyes and my attempts to blink them away were futile. I managed to grab my fork and gasp out, "I swear I will _stab_ you with this fork if you do that one more time."

He chuckled and nodded his head toward something behind me. I turned, and walking toward our table was none other than Gill. He pulled out a chair between us and sat down.

"And to what do we owe this honor?" Chase asked.

Gill placed a letter on the table and slid it over to him.

"What's this?" He flipped the letter over and looked at the return address before furrowing his brow. "Gill, what is this? Hello?"

"I think it's your hospital bill. It says South Valley Medical Center right on it."

Chase couldn't pay it. I knew that without knowing how much money he had. Working at a bar on a small island didn't pay those kind of wages. I was suddenly scared for him and wondered what he was going to do, but he didn't seem fazed.

"The heat really is bothersome." Gill unbuttoned his cuffs and started rolling up the sleeves. I tried not to stare. Having Chase wear that look was already enough fuel for my fluttery girl hormones. "Well, I didn't come to chat. I have to get back to work." He stood. With his head tilted down, he gripped the back of the chair and exhaled. Then he smiled apologetically. "Could I have some water?"

"I don't work here, you know," Chase mumbled, folding the envelope and tucking it into his pocket. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Want anything, Angela?"

"Do you have lemonade?" I glanced at Gill. He had his hand spread over his forehead, pushing all his hair back. It was warm, yeah. But it wasn't _that_ warm. I was starting to feel like he was doing charming things on purpose. His face was flushed, though. I didn't know what to think. He looked uncomfortably hot in both senses of the word.

"No lemonade. I'll make something better," Chase said. As he walked back behind the counter to the kitchen, he cast a sideways look at Gill. So he noticed something odd too.

Jake walked past our table and smiled at us politely. "Hello Angela. Gill. Haven't seen you both in a while," he said. "I heard you and Chase took a trip to the city, Angela. How'd that go?"

I nodded. "It was great. The only thing keeping me from missing the Inn's food was Chase and his delicious cooking."

"Good to hear. It's a little late for lunch though, isn't it?"

"It's only... Um, Gill? What time is it?"

Gill glanced down at his watch and blinked a few times. "Three... three thirty."

Jake stood there for a moment and then glanced back at Chase. I honestly thought he was going to ask why he had been acting like a teenage girl earlier. He didn't though, and continued to the adjoining room without another word.

"Here," Chase announced, setting the glass of water on the counter.

Gill walked over to him. He nodded slightly as thanks and just held it, blinking at the floor. Chase began making my drink rather reluctantly; his attention was still on Gill, who hadn't moved since picking up the glass.

"Something wrong?"

Gill shook his head and raised the cup to his lips. He faltered as though his arm was too heavy to lift, immediately dropping it to his side. The glass slid out of his hand and shattered on the floor in front of him. He stepped back in surprise and bumped his arm on the cash register.

Chase made a noise that sounded like the beginning of the word _what_, but I couldn't tell for sure because he never finished.

"Ah..." Gill pressed his hand against his forehead. "I... I can't... see..."

He reached blindly for the edge of the counter. I sent a wild glance at Chase. I wanted to scream at him: _do something! _But his gaze was somewhere else, fixed on the floor.

In one instant, everyone seemed to unfreeze. I bolted up the same time a heavy breath left Gill's lips and he began falling. Chase doubled over the counter and jerked him backward by the collar. He slid to the floor, unconscious, but the force of the pull made him fall sideways instead of forward, where he would've fallen, I realized, facedown into the shards of glass. I rushed to his side. Chase circled around the bar with a towel. He knelt down next to the glass and began picking up the pieces quicker than I'd ever seen him do anything before.

Yolanda was on the phone, calling the doctor, and I was sitting on the floor next to Gill. I touched his shoulder.

"Gill." My voice was tight. "Can you hear me? Wake up." I spun around and looked at Chase. Everything seemed too bright. He had folded the pieces of glass in the towel and was now putting it up on the table. He came next to me. I remembered when the roles were reversed and Gill was the one kneeling beside me, keeping me calm.

"What do we do?" I asked. "Did he just faint?"

Chase's expression was so intense that he looked angry. "I don't know. Better make sure he's breathing."

"And if not?"

"Then what do you think?"

I shook my head. "CPR?"

Chase made an irritated noise in the back of his throat. He reached forward to check Gill's pulse, and once again, I felt useless. I didn't know what to do. So I just held his hand and smoothed the hair out of his face. Yolanda was suddenly hovering over me, offering a wet cloth. At least I understood that. I took the cloth from her and placed it across Gill's forehead.

"It's fast," Chase said.

"What?"

"His pulse."

"The doctor should be here soon," Yolanda said, then more sternly, "Did you clean up the mess?"

"Yeah." Chase was concentrating, but on what exactly I didn't know. He was sitting back on his heels, looking at Gill with a mix of irritation and unease.

"Isn't there something else we can do?" I turned to face him. "What are you doing? Why are you just sitting there?"

He looked startled. "I made sure he wasn't dead."

That wasn't reassuring.

Fainting spells were only supposed to last a few seconds. Time seemed to be slowing down. A sweat had broken out across his face, but his fingers were like ice in my palm. It seemed like he would never wake up. "I think something's wrong."

Chase glanced at me. I saw the way his eyes were trying to focus on what was in front of him, the way the lines formed between his eyebrows. He was remembering something. Then his mouth twitched into a halfway smile, but it wasn't playful or charming or teasing. It was exactly what it was. A halfway smile. "Yeah," he said. "I think you're right. This happened when we were younger. His mom—"

"Oh my gosh!" Maya gasped from the doorway. "What happened?"

As Yolanda explained the situation, Chase stood up and grabbed the edges of the towel to dump in the trash. He hadn't finished talking, and I didn't know if I would ever hear the rest of it.

Maya's eyes were wide when she motioned to the towel. "What's that?" she asked.

"Broken glass."

"From what?"

I glared. "It's from a _glass_."

"Oh," she said solemnly. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know," I said. I tried to soften my tone. It wasn't her fault this happened, or that she interrupted Chase.

Maya looked conflicted. She was glancing between Gill and the pieces of broken glass that Chase still held in the towel. "Was that the one with the leaf patterns on the side?" she asked finally.

Chase narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"That one was my favorite."

"Then here. Have it." He thrust the towel at her. Obviously not knowing what else to do, Maya took the bundle in her arms. Chase's eyes were suddenly on me, and I saw something there that I hadn't seen before. I couldn't place it. He sauntered to the end of the bar, where his hand closed around the top of a cocktail glass. He slowly and deliberately slid the glass off the counter and let it shatter on the floor.

Maya cried out in surprise.

"What are you thinking?" Yolanda snapped at him. "Clean it up and leave. I won't have you acting like that in here."

"No, Grandma, it's okay," Maya said quietly. "He's right. It's stupid. I shouldn't care about the glass... I'll clean it up."

She knelt down on the floor and used the towel to pick up the pieces. Maya was literally going behind Chase and cleaning up the shards of broken glass he left in his wake. I remembered the night at the hospital. That time, it was me who exploded. But I had felt exactly the same way she was probably feeling now: willing to take the hurt in the process of mending what was broken. But why he had actually gone and broken a glass, I wasn't sure.

Gill was beginning to wake up. I removed the cloth from his forehead and brushed his hair aside. He was hardly awake and already his fingers had snaked through his hair to clutch his head.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

His eyes fluttered open, dazed and unfocused.

I repeated my question louder.

"Fine," he said, shutting his eyes tightly. It sounded like he didn't know what else to say, like he didn't even know what was going on. He probably didn't. All he knew was that I was sitting next to him on the floor of the Inn. He slowly dropped his hand and looked up. I tried to smile. Chase was standing over us and staring down at him, but he didn't say anything.

The doors of the Inn burst open and Jin came in. Chase whirled around and gave him a disbelieving look. He opened his mouth to say something but apparently decided against it.

Jin asked me some questions, grabbed things from his bag, and tended to Gill. After a few minutes, Gill looked at him with a tense expression. "I'm fine," he said. "Really, Jin, just stop. It's okay."

"Can you stand?"

Right at that second, Maya touched my shoulder. I glanced behind me. It looked like she wanted to tell me something, so I stood up, and when I did, she leaned in close. "I really didn't mean it," she said. She was clutching her finger, which was wrapped in a red-stained paper towel. "I just got nervous, you know? I mean, I came out and Gill... and you... and even Chase looked kinda antsy... I don't know..."

I reached over to give her arm a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay."

She nodded.

I turned around, searching for Chase. He was standing in front of the window near the front of the Inn, staring out, watching something. I went over to him.

"He's okay, right?" I asked. "You think so, don't you, Chase?"

He wasn't answering me, so I turned back to him and bit my lip so it wouldn't tremble. "Don't you?"

Chase cast a sideways glance at me. "I think you're overreacting." Then he started toward the door, slowly, as though he was admiring the floor on his way out. "Oh, what did you want me to do tomorrow?"

"Nothing," I said. "It's not important anymore."

* * *

><p><em>AN: I'm sorry for the delay! Graduation is rapidly approaching and I'm trying to get everything done beforehand._

_Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter :) Thank you so so much for reading and/or reviewing. It means a lot to me! I can't believe how many reviews Caught Clueless has gotten. It's absolutely incredible. Thank you all so much. _

_~ Violet_


	25. In Chase's Front Yard

I woke up shaking. Through bleary eyes I could see nothing, not even a sliver of light shining through the window. The sheets around my legs were cold. As I untangled myself and sat up, I tried to remember what I had been dreaming about. I wanted to call Gill and ask him if he was okay. I had to know what happened yesterday.

The doctor had told me it was best if I went home and checked back tomorrow, since Gill had to stay at the clinic for a few hours. And I did go home. But later in the evening I visited his house, only to enter his room and find him asleep, slouched over in bed with a mess of papers across his lap. Hamilton told me everything was fine, but he seemed just as worried as me, if not more.

It was morning, at least, so I pulled myself out of bed and started making coffee, even though I didn't like it. While I stood by the pot, I remembered something I should not have forgotten in the first place. Kathy was getting married. She told me just as I was about to leave the bar, on the night that Luna slapped Gill outside. The wedding date was undecided, but I imagined it would be soon. And today… there was something I was supposed to do today.

_Ah,_ I remembered: My date with Luke.

The rest of the morning went by rather uneventfully. After I ate a salad for lunch that I prepared myself and tended to both my fields and my animals, I went to Gill's house. He greeted me at the door, which was both surprising and relieving. I asked if he was feeling okay.

"I told you, I'm fine," he said.

"About yesterday…"

"I was dehydrated, it was hot, and my blood pressure dropped." Gill leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "That's all it was."

I frowned. "Did you forget to drink water?"

"I've been preoccupied."

I stood there staring at him for a few seconds. I wanted to hug him so desperately, but I couldn't will my arms to move. There was something about his tone—overly formal and distant—that made me feel an awkwardness I hadn't felt around him for a long time.

"Maybe you should ask Chase to cook you a healthy dinner," I said. "If you're preoccupied, you know. Food and water seem to have taken a back seat to whatever you've got your mind on, huh?"

He seemed to stiffen at my suggestion. His arms crossed tighter, and I couldn't help but notice his expression soured. "I'm fine."

"Okay. You're fine." I didn't want to argue. "Well, see you later then. Call me if you need anything."

Gill didn't say anything as I turned and walked away. I heard the door shut before I even reached the steps.

What was he doing? Every time I saw him, he was either running errands or doing paperwork or writing in notebooks. He was working himself to exhaustion. It had to do with the city; I could just feel it. Gill had said he traveled there for business—to negotiate a deal with the city farmer's market. I believed that, to an extent. But there had to be more. I just hoped I would find out before it was too late to matter.

* * *

><p>When I arrived at the designated date location, I spotted Luke right away, sitting on a blanket atop a grassy hill overlooking the ocean, arranging lilies in a vase. He thought Flute Fields was the perfect place to have dinner. I had agreed; it was beautiful. But I hadn't agreed to the picnic blanket being spread across the grass of Chase's front yard.<p>

Of all places… Sure, this particular place had the best view, and it _wasn't_ in a pasture where we would be chaperoned by a herd of cows, but I just couldn't understand. If I was Luke and I wanted to have a date with a girl, I wouldn't have set it up on another man's property. Maybe that was just me, though. It was better, perhaps, if I didn't try to understand. If I pushed aside the thought that Chase could walk outside any minute and stumble on our basket of who-knows-what Luke packed, then I was sure the date would carry on without a hitch.

Taking a deep breath and a second to smooth my hair, I jogged over to Luke and smiled. He was wearing a clean shirt, the usual jacket, and jeans with a rip across the knee. I didn't think he owned a pair of pants lacking a hole. That was okay with me. In fact, I expected it.

What I didn't expect was the eruption of excited butterflies in my stomach when he wrapped his arms around me. My apprehension began to dissolve. Despite my unease over the location, I had to admit, it was well planned. We weren't situated too far off the main road, but we still had a measure of privacy (from the public, that is. Chase, however, was a different story.) Best of all, we could see mesmeric blue waves all the way to the horizon.

"Did you wait long?" I asked.

A short shake of his head told me he hadn't been here a great deal of time, or if he had, he was polite enough not to say. Then he grinned. "You look nice," he said as he settled back down on the blanket. "And so do these sandwiches. Look at them!" I sat down across from him and watched as he pulled out a brown paper bag. He drew out two sandwiches, which appeared extraordinarily normal to me, but I nodded anyway and gave him an exuberant thumbs-up.

"It's a beautiful evening," I mused after a moment. "Did you work today?"

He nodded. "Sanding wood. Simon ordered a new dresser."

Right after my teeth sank through soft wheat bread, I was able to identify lettuce, cheese, olives, mayonnaise, and fish. It was delicious, but I had no idea what kind of fish it was, and I didn't want to ask. It seemed like something I should've already known.

"So," Luke began, "how do you like these sandwiches?"

I chuckled and nodded with my mouth full. "They're really great."

"Don't worry about anything, Angela," he said. "I asked Chase for permission before I set up the date—" I gasped and began coughing at this, so I didn't hear the rest of his words. He didn't see anything wrong with that? Obviously not, because he kept talking, while I couldn't stop laughing.

"Luke, wait, you asked Chase for permission? To do what?"

His eyes widened as if that was a ridiculous question. "To have a date with you! I thought it was proper, you know? I really didn't want to, but I just think… I _know _you two like each other. I wanted to be cool about this."

"Pardon?"

"He made the sandwiches, too."

"Oh my god."

I felt like I should've been angry or something, but all I could do was laugh. I didn't understand his logic at all. It was absurdly funny. I could only hope my obnoxious laughter didn't draw Chase outside to see what was dying.

"Luke, what?" I wiped mayo off my face with the back of my hand as delicately as possible and shook my head. "You asked him to make sandwiches for our date? And he did it?"

"Well, yeah." Luke smiled shyly. "I would've done it myself but I'm not that great at cooking. I wanted you to have something delicious."

After my giggles faded, I sighed and smiled. "Forget about Chase, okay? I mean, we're sitting right in his front yard, but this is _our _date."

"Okay," Luke said. He grinned and tilted his head at me. I blushed under his gaze, but he didn't say anything more.

We ate together in silence, enjoying the light breeze and listening to the distant sound of tinkling bells. I had just told Luke to forget Chase while we were on our date, but my mind kept going back to Gill. I wanted so badly to talk to Luke about it, but I knew I shouldn't, or at least I shouldn't _now_.

When we were finished with our sandwiches, he seemed to remember there was other food in the basket. He pulled out a container of fresh fruit: cherries, apples, and melons. He then discovered two mason jars of water and a handful of orange candies.

Everything Luke took out of the basket seemed to surprise him, so I felt compelled to ask, "Hey, Luke, did you make this lunch?"

"Sort of," he laughed. "Why, can you tell? At first I just had the fruit, then Chase gave me… everything else."

I shook my head, smiling. With all the effort it seemed Chase had put into our date, the only thing we were missing was Chase himself.

Luke handed me a slice of watermelon and I took it gratefully. As we ate, sticky juice ran down our chins and arms. I licked some off my wrist, causing him to laugh and do the same, and soon we were licking our arms like animals and laughing and having a great time doing nothing.

When we were out of melon, he passed me a few candies, but I was too full to even consider more food. I realized I forgot to react and let his hand hover in the space between us when he asked, "Is something bothering you?"

My back straightened in surprise.

"It's okay. Whatever it is, I'll listen," he said. "Even about Chase."

"Well, it's not Chase," I said carefully, lowering my voice as if Chase could actually hear us through the walls. I wasn't sure if I should talk about this with Luke. We were having a good time, and I really didn't want to ruin it. He kept staring at me so expectantly though. Eventually I couldn't resist his pleading expression. "It's Gill. Yesterday… did you hear?" I paused for Luke's answer, but I didn't hear a response, and if he shook his head, I didn't see it. My gaze was fixed on the ground. "He passed out at the Inn. And he's been acting weird lately, you know? I just feel like… he isn't honest with me. I feel like we're so distant now. I want to help him, but he's acting like we're strangers."

Luke nodded. "I heard what happened."

Before he could say anything else, I added, "Chase told me it happened once when you were all young. Do you know about that?"

He fell uncharacteristically silent for a long time. I thought maybe I had said something bad, but then I noticed he was just trying to remember. "We were at school. And…" Luke paused. "We were doing a group project. We had to partner up, I think. And everyone was moving around the room, doing all kinds of things, but Gill was just sitting at his desk. After a while, I heard kids gasping, so I turned around and saw him face down on the floor."

"Was he okay?"

"Sort of," Luke said. "He was always, uh, weaker than most of the kids. I know the falling over was no big deal. He just got dizzy and fainted. But he smacked his head on a desk and it kind of messed him up."

I felt my eyebrows knit together. "Messed him up?"

"I mean, like, headaches and stuff. Ever since then, he started getting them and they just never stopped. Awful, huh?"

I nodded. There was an explanation for something at least. He really did suffer from migraines, and now I even knew how they started. But was that the cause of what happened yesterday?

"A few days went by and everything was still okay," Luke continued. "He even came to school for the rest of the week. Then at the festival that weekend, I heard him complaining about a headache. By the end of the night, he'd gone missing. Everyone was looking for him. Someone found him behind the barn crying. It was… sad."

I imagined Gill as a child, huddled against the soiled walls of a barn, his head buried in his arms as fierce, terrifying pain forced tears to wet his cheeks. The thought made me want to throw up. Luke had described it best—awful. Gill lived with these headaches for most of his life, and I couldn't even imagine living through one once.

"Thanks, Luke," I said. "For talking to me about this."

"No problem." He tossed a small stone and it landed near my leg. "So what are you worried about?"

"Oh…" I looked at Chase's house, wondering if he was actually even home. And if he was, did he know we were sitting here? "Gill… he works a lot… and for what? This island is laidback. It's not like he needs to work so hard." I didn't say everything I was thinking. I didn't ask what I wanted to ask. _What is he hiding from me? And why?_

Luke looked thoughtful. After a while, he said, "I honestly don't know. I'm sorry." He shrugged apologetically and glanced toward the house. "Maybe Chase knows."

I was doubtful of that. I'd already asked him about it and he seemed oblivious.

In a somewhat desperate attempt to switch up the pace of our date, I glanced down at the rock beside my knee and flung it toward Luke. It hit the ground nearly a foot to the left from where he was sitting.

"Do you have any tattoos?" The question flew from my mouth before I even had a chance to consider what I was asking.

He tossed the stone back. This time I caught it, and I realized we had begun a potentially dangerous game of catch. Luke shook his head slowly and gave a crooked smile.

I laughed. "Probably not, I guess."

The rock thumped against Luke's chest and fell into his lap.

"Do you?" he returned skeptically.

I started to shake my head and say no, but I was interrupted by another voice. "It's my lucky day," it called, sounding not at all surprised and very much contrived. My face flushed instantly. "No one said there'd be a stoning today. In my front yard, no less. What a spectacle!"

"Hey, Chase," Luke greeted, the stone forgotten.

Out of nowhere, an orange candy came whirling at Chase, and he barely raised his hand in time to catch it. Then he closed the front door of his house and walked toward us. He was turning an orange around in his hand.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something important." Chase knelt down behind our picnic basket. "Like a stoning. If it's a stoning, then by all means, please continue."

"And I hope you're kidding." I rolled my eyes and smiled.

We all looked at each other in silent evaluation for a few seconds. Chase's hair was dripping water on his white button-down, and the ends were already curling in the sun. He smiled at us as he unwrapped the candy. Did he even care Luke and I were on a date?

"Wanna join us?" Luke asked.

My eyes widened. I'd never really been on a romantic date before, but I was pretty sure that's not how it was supposed to go.

Chase's eyes met mine and he gave me a coy smile. I raised my eyebrows at him. What the heck was Luke doing? If I was Luke, I would've tried my hardest to stay away from Chase. It made no sense.

"I really shouldn't." Chase spoke in such a nonchalant manner that he seemed to know a secret we didn't. "But maybe something interesting will happen if I do." He sat down, halfway cross-legged with his arms folded over his knees.

"What's with that?" I gestured to the fruit. He only seemed to be playing with it and not really intending to eat it.

"Oh, this? I was going to visit our old friend Gill. Vitamin C and all that, you know?"

That surprised me. I was worried about him, but I had thought I was the only one—aside from his father. If Chase was going to see him, then maybe I _wasn't_ the only one.

"There's something I want to say." Luke leveled his gaze on a point directly between me and Chase. "I give you permission."

Chase snorted after a particularly uncomfortable minute of silence. "What? Weren't you just asking _me _for permission earlier? Why do I need yours now?"

"Yeah, well, it's more like… I wanted to make sure you were okay with it. And now I'm saying I'm okay with… the other way around."

"Luke," I mumbled. "Chase isn't even—"

"Interested in you?" Chase was staring at me. "Oh, I'm very interested. How can I not be? You're so interesting. What makes you think otherwise?"

I was red. My cheeks, my nose, my ears. Everything was burning, even my eyes from the sudden rush of heat. "I just… I don't know… when I called us 'friends' back in the city you nearly threw up, so I may have been led to believe Luke's theory of _us _was a bit far-fetched."

"Fair enough," Chase said. "But I'm confused. We need to start dating now?"

"No!" I blurted. "Luke was just… I don't know… but it's okay. I don't even want to talk about this right now, especially when all I can think about is Gill. I'm sorry."

I might have been making it up, but Chase seemed relieved. At least he had stopped acting so elusive. Maybe he knew Luke was going to do this. It made me wonder about a lot of things, but mostly why Luke had orchestrated our date so strangely revolved around Chase. I wasn't prepared to ask, or maybe I wasn't prepared for the answer, so I let it go.

Chase stood up. His hair was drying quickly. In the sunlight, it was glowing, and it looked soft. I wanted to touch it.

"Can I… can I go with you?" I asked. "To visit Gill? I can just wait outside, even. I'll be ready in a minute."

Chase shrugged and nodded. He went back to the front door of his house and sat on the step to wait for me.

Luke shifted on the blanket across from me. For a second I had forgotten where I was, and who I was with. A cold feeling spread over my arms and across my chest. That's why I couldn't do this. Luke was one of my best friends, but that was it. Maybe under different circumstances it would've happened the way he wanted it to. But as long as there were Chase and Gill, I was hopelessly confused about relationships and what should be.

There were choices I still had to make, but one thing was certain: I had not chosen Luke.

I turned to Luke and took a breath. He smiled at me, and I really tried to do the same. I could see that he knew. "I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just trying my best."

"It's okay. This is how I hoped it would end."

"What do you mean? What were you doing?"

He stared at the ground, and when he looked up, he couldn't shake the sadness from his expression. "Trying to give up."

"Luke." My voice hitched. He didn't just want to be friends. He loved me. But he was making this harder than it had to be. Why was he pressuring me like this? I took another breath and stood up. "I'm sorry, Luke."

I had to be there for people who needed me—for Gill, for Chase. But now I wondered, was that even true? Did they need me or was I just making an excuse? Whether they needed me or not, I had to be there for them.

It wouldn't have been fair to Luke if I started dating him, because I knew my heart could never be focused on him alone.

Luke nodded slowly and pulled a lily from the vase. He held it out to me. "It's okay. Chase is sure lucky to have your attention, though."

I held the stem between my thumb and index finger, twirling it idly, thinking about what was happening. All I could do was nod. "Do you… need help cleaning this up?"

He bent over to gather our trash and leftover food and tossed it in the basket. Then he grabbed the blanket and threw it over his shoulder. It fluttered like a cape. He straightened and looked me square in the eyes. Suddenly, he was close. His face was inches away from mine. His hand was in my hair.

His lips were on mine.

A noise of surprise escaped from my throat, but I didn't do anything. Luke's scent—fresh, rich like a forest—entangled me, and I found my hands on his shoulders, _not_ pushing him away.

My heart took off racing faster than I'd ever thought possible. A ridiculous thought—_his face is on my face—_passed through my mind and almost made me laugh mid-kiss. I knew I was possibly the most awkward kiss participant in the history of anything ever, but Luke didn't stop.

And in fact, I kind of liked it.

Then all at once, he pulled away, his breath coming out heavy through lips curled in a smile.

My lips did the same.

"For the love of _god,_ just stop," Chase whined. He stood and threw his hands up. "I am going to _vomit_."

I laughed and lifted my hand in a wave. Luke was beaming. I really didn't think he cared about anything else at the moment besides our kiss. Our goodbye kiss. Seeing him so happy made this feel easier.

Chase was already walking toward the path, so I hurried to follow him. I turned around one last time, and then set my focus ahead, on Chase tossing the orange with one hand and crushing the candy with the other, and on Gill and how I was going to get the truth out of him.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hello! I'm NOT dead! The problem was that I had to write this chapter from scratch because, unlike all the other chapters, I never wrote this scene out months ago when I was on my writing spree. I hope it's okay. I didn't spend a lot of time editing/revising because I wanted to post it quickly._

_So... LUKE GETS THE FIRST KISS! Didja see that coming? I didn't! Then there's Chase tryna be cool over there, lol. Angela is confused about everything and tends to give in to suggestion. Luke's like "heck yeah!" And Chase is like "what the heck." So Angela ends up in the middle somewhere... "heck the heck" maybe? Who knows? Angela doesn't. :p  
><em>

_Thank you so so much for reading and leaving reviews. I really appreciate every single one! You're all amazing, never forget it!_


	26. Head to Heart

Neither Chase nor I realized how late it had gotten as we stood on the doorstep of the Hamilton household. He pounded on the door with the fist that was previously occupied with destroying an orange candy. He was mad. And I knew it was because I had kissed Luke.

Chase sighed at the lack of response from inside the house.

"Um, hey," I said tentatively. "Maybe he's not home."

His reply was to knock again.

"It's Sunday. What if he's sleeping?"

Again, his knuckles collided with the wood. And again. Again, again, again—

"I'm sorry!" Without thinking, I grabbed his arm and then quickly let go in embarrassment. "I didn't know it would make you mad."

"I'm not." Chase lowered his hand and looked at it. "You're wishy-washy, you know. No one understands your mixed signals. One minute it's _I don't want to date anyone_ and the next you're going on a date that isn't actually a date but ends in a kiss that's supposed to mean nothing? What the heck, Angela?"

My initial reaction was to deny it and tell him he was making things up. But he was right. I liked Luke. He liked me. We kissed. Why couldn't I be happy with that? I didn't know. I was afraid, and I didn't know why. So I treated him in a way he didn't deserve—I strung him along for the second time. Staring hard at the ground, I said, "Why do you even care?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you scared?"

A long silence passed. _Yes_, I wanted to say. Instead I just shook my head.

He hung his arm on my shoulder. "Don't lie."

"But I…"

Chase pulled away to look at me. "But you are, aren't you?"

I swallowed. That wasn't exactly what I was going to say, but it was true, so I nodded.

"What are you doing?" an unmistakably smooth voice called.

My head snapped around to see Gill coming up the stairs, lines of apprehension appearing on his forehead. "I was taking care of some errands. If you were coming, you should've called. But at least you have the decency not to go in anyway."

Chase shrugged and stepped back from the door, which Gill pulled open without unlocking. We followed with only the vague implication of being welcome inside. Then we stood around the dining table and watched Gill rummage through a cabinet for some glasses. "Water?"

"Six ounces, no ice, no lemon, noncarbonated." Chase placed the orange on the dining table and held it down with one finger. "Did you know our little Angela is out kissing strange men?"

My face flared with heat. "Chase, please."

Gill walked around to the dining table, the water momentarily abandoned, and folded his hands on the back of a chair. His blue eyes were so clear and bright that all the energy I had mustered up to lift his spirits seemed worthless now. After glancing at me, he looked to Chase. "So she kissed you?"

I whimpered in shame.

After forcing a sarcastic laugh, Chase smiled. "No," he said. "No, it's…" His eyes went to the ground for a second, and then he cleared his throat. "How're you doing?"

"I'm fine."

"And I don't have anything better to do than come here." Chase yanked a chair out and sat down. I remained standing. "Let's be real."

"Look," Gill muttered, stalking back to the kitchen. "You want the truth? I'm not hiding anything. I get headaches, and I don't know why."

"What else?" I asked.

He came back to the table with three glasses of water, two balanced in one palm and one in the other. He didn't sit down. "My skull is shattering. That's what it feels like. Any sound makes my head throb. I can hardly open my eyes because every sliver of light is like looking straight into the sun. But before any of that, I get sick. I get so tired I feel like I can't move. My brain slows down and I have trouble speaking. Lately, it's been happening more and more—almost once a week now."

"Sounds like a migraine to me," Chase said.

"I know," Gill conceded. "It used to happen twice a year at most. But it's getting worse, and I don't know why."

"What about medication?"

He sighed and went to his room, motioning for us to follow. On his desk were rows of unlabeled bottles. He explained each bottle as something that Jin and Irene had mixed up for one symptom or another. Everything was natural. Gill said that he had one emergency medication from the city for use during particularly bad migraines, but otherwise, importing medicine was too expensive. He explained more about the remedies at Chase's inquiry, and I sat on the edge of his bed, taking in the interior of his room.

As he talked, I looked at the pictures on the walls. At first glance, they seemed generic, but maybe they weren't. After all, he had chosen them for some reason. On the wall near the window, the sunlight illuminated a photo. Although everything seemed to be shrouded in gray, the picture was in color. Gill's parents were outside, their shoes sunken several inches in the snow, bundled in fur-trimmed bubble parkas and thick gloves. While his father held an argyle scarf intended for the nearby snowman, his mother bent over the large spheres of packed snow, affixing a carrot to its face. Below her, a young boy with white-blond hair hugged the snowman. His cheeks, pressed against the ice, were splotchy and his nose was bright red, but his eyes were sparkling and his smile was jubilant.

"That looked fun," I said.

Gill stopped whatever he'd been saying and glanced at the photo. He shook his head slightly and smiled. "That was a long time ago."

Chase stood with his arms crossed and stared at the photograph, tilting his head in contemplation. After a few seconds, his eyes fell to Gill's desk. Immaculate and orderly. Chase reached down to grab one of the semi-transparent bottles. He held it against the light of the window and rattled it. "Why'd you go to the city?"

I saw a muscle twitch in Gill's jaw. He pulled the desk chair out and sat down, his fingertips forming a steeple in front of him. "Do you realize I'm going to resent repeating myself? The city holds a large annual farmer's market. I was hoping to strike a deal with the director of agriculture to export goods from the island to market." He swiveled around to a drawer and pulled out a letter. Turning back to us, he held the paper so we could see it. "The director agreed. Starting next year, Castanet can ship crops and other salable items to the city for their farmer's market. It will be a great boost to the island's economy."

I smiled and clasped my hands together. "That's great! I'm glad it worked out. I'll do my best to contribute."

Gill smiled back and returned the letter to its original home in his desk. "I'm glad to be finished with the paperwork." As he looked at me, an uncomfortable expression flitted across his face. "So, any other questions?"

"Well, yeah," I began. "I've been wondering… the last night we were in the city, why'd you get mad at Chase?"

Gill's blue eyes fixated on the floor. After a moment, he raised his head and opened his mouth to speak, but still there remained only silence.

"He was hopelessly confused." Chase reached over and thumped him lightly on the head. "Something happened and he thought it was my fault."

"I overreacted," Gill said. "I don't want to discuss it."

On the boat, Gill had told Chase something important. A secret. A secret that Chase felt the need to protect. I was sure it was the reason why Gill was so upset that night. It made me feel awkward to know that I was the only one who didn't understand the situation, and I got the feeling I wouldn't anytime soon.

Chase suddenly stepped past us, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Where are you going?" I asked. I tried to read his expression, but it was too late. He was already halfway to the door.

"Work."

"But it's Sunday!"

The door slammed, and the photograph rattled against the wall. Was Chase still angry with me? Or was he giving us a chance to talk privately? I doubted it was the latter. Maybe I said something that irritated him. Or maybe Gill said something while I hadn't been paying attention. Either way, Chase was done with us today.

Gill and I looked at each other, saying nothing, until I averted my eyes and let them roam over his desk. It revealed nothing. He must have seen my disappointment because he smiled and moved to sit on the bed next to me.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" he chided gently. "There's nothing going on. If there was, you would know. I'm just tired, all right? I was mistaken when I accused Chase back in the city. It's all been sorted out. Now this thing with Luna… I don't know."

I put my hand over his, hoping the gesture would substitute for words, because I didn't know either.

"You might…" Gill glanced at me and faltered, which made me want to draw my hand back, but I didn't. "You might think this is childish, but sometimes I wish that my mother was still here."

I shook my head. "That's not childish. I always wish Roscoe was here. I miss him. I can't even imagine…" I trailed off, embarrassed. He was talking about his mother and I was talking about my pet. Roscoe was an important family member to me, but somehow I felt like I might insult him by comparing the two. So I was relieved when he kept talking like he hadn't even heard me.

"She was patient and compassionate. I just wish I had gotten more of her advice."

"It's difficult by yourself, isn't it?"

He didn't say anything. I was afraid that what I had just asked was too personal, so I ventured into my own thoughts before he had a chance to speak.

"You're one of my best friends." I touched his arm so he would look at me. "I want you to know that, Gill. And I'm sorry if I've bothered you in any way, but I really… I'm scared. I love my friends. I've chosen them for myself, believing wholeheartedly in who they are. If something happens to anyone I love and I didn't try to help, I would feel like I abandoned a great investment."

"An investment?" From his easy and composed smile, I knew sharing my feelings was the right decision.

"Investing my time, love, and support in people is like betting on them," I said. "If I didn't believe you could be great, I'd leave you alone and bet on someone else. And by great, I don't mean rich or famous. I mean patient and compassionate and kind. Like your mother."

"Your friends are the people you're betting on, huh?" Gill leaned back and laughed. "You picked a good lot."

"I know you're going to be a great mayor. You're smart. Not just book smart, but reasonable and discerning. You're caring and generous. You have high standards and you stick to them. I believe you can do whatever you set your mind to, and I'd be happy to live on this island with you as the mayor."

"Okay, okay." He waved a hand as if trying to erase the words between us. "That was a bit overkill, but I appreciate it."

I placed a hand on my burning cheek to cool it. "Sorry," I mumbled. "I try to be rational, but then it's like my heart takes control."

"Oh? Interesting." Gill tilted his head at me. "Does this have anything to do with that kiss Chase was fuming about?"

"Kind of. I guess. My heart definitely took control then." My cheeks burned even more furiously at the thought of talking about what happened with Gill, but I really did want his advice so I pressed forward. "Luke kissed me, but I didn't stop him. I… I enjoyed it… but it was wrong of me to even go on that date in the first place. I was naïve to think we could go our separate ways with no hurt feelings. I like Luke, but I'm not ready to commit. I don't know what I want or who I want. It would be unfair to him, wouldn't it? When I have so many emotions… it wouldn't be right. I would just hurt him more."

He nodded. Chase had gotten mad, but Gill didn't seem bothered. That made me feel better. Chase made me feel like I'd done something horrible, and maybe I had, but Gill's reaction—or lack thereof—was comforting.

"It sounds like you're trying to be logical," he said. "I think the date wasn't the best idea, but the past is in the past. You've parted with the mutual understanding that you aren't dating."

I agreed; it wasn't a good idea. But I didn't have anything else to say, so I kept quiet. Seconds turned into minutes. Apparently he didn't have anything else to say either.

"Have you been watching the news?" Gill asked, breaking the silence. I shook my head. "This year is going to be particularly bad for storms. You should make sure your house and barn are secure. Have a plan in case of an emergency."

I stared at my hands, folded in my lap, and the dirt under my nails. When he mentioned my barn, it reminded me of my status, which was strange because I'd never given it much thought before. Gill didn't care that I was a farmer. At least, I'd always believed he didn't.

Realizing I'd been quiet for too long, I said, "I haven't heard. Thanks for the warning."

"I'm serious. There have been accidents in the past. You could lose all your crops."

"Does it bother you that I'm a farmer? I mean, hanging out with me. Am I… gross?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Did I give you that impression?"

I shook my head.

"Is it because I look irritated all the time?" Gill sighed. "People always come up to me and ask if I'm mad. I'm not. It's my face."

"That's not it." I didn't mean to, but I laughed and made myself sound less serious than I actually was. "It's just that you're the mayor's son and I'm a dirty farmer. I'd never thought about it before, but…"

He blinked at me for a long time, seeming to process my statement in slow motion. Then he motioned toward the window in what I guessed was the direction of my house. "When you first moved here, there was no working farm on that hill. You weren't a farmer. You were a girl from the city, rambling on and on about city things—remember your _hobo _phase? My impression of you wasn't really that of a farmer, so I suppose it didn't cross my mind. But even so, farming is important to the island. I have respect for what you're doing." Gill looked at me sternly. "But did you hear what I said earlier? You just changed the subject."

"Storms, right?"

His expression darkened. "Angela, you're clueless." He glanced at the clock and stood. "I'll walk back to your house with you and look at what needs to be reinforced. Is the siding still torn apart? Wait, I'll just see when I get there." Gill picked up a pen, slid it onto the collar of his shirt, and grabbed a clipboard.

* * *

><p>Gill was shaking his head before our shoes even touched the dirt of my property. Pointing to a gnarled tree, he said, "If a strong gust of wind blows, that tree could collapse on your house." Then he wrote on his clipboard. "You need to get the siding secure. It's dangerous."<p>

"Yes, sir."

An unintentionally comical, scathing glare was sent in my direction before he continued on to the barn. He began sliding the door shut and cringed when it rattled and stuck. Once inside the barn he said, "This doesn't look bad. It should be okay. This is obvious, but don't let your animals outside during bad weather. Close the door securely. Same for the coop. Make sure they have enough food and fresh water available for at least two days."

Examining the outside of the coop prompted more clipboard writing. "Loose siding," is all he said. Inside, he shrugged in what I assumed was approval since he didn't write anything.

As he crossed the threshold of my house, he glanced over his shoulder, and I wondered if I wasn't supposed to follow him. I did anyway and tried to ignore the feeling that he was annoyed with me.

Gill pointed across the room with the pen. "How are the windows?"

"Bad. They get stuck all the time, and one of them is cracked."

He took more notes and surveyed the ceiling. Then he walked around, examining the floor, and slipped his pen back onto his collar. "I'll submit these documents to the Carpenter's, and Dale should give you an estimate fairly soon," he said.

I smiled. "You know what you're doing."

He looked over at me, the tiny curve of his lips contrasting with his sharp eyes. "I do this every year. Usually I like to get all the reports in sooner."

"You inspect each resident's home and business every year for free?"

"Of course. I have to do everything I can to prevent an accident. Inspections are conducted in order alphabetically. You would've had your turn soon, but considering the condition of the farm I thought it was imperative."

I knew what Gill did for me just now was very kind. He was right—I was clueless. It made me feel good to know that even though he was tired he took time to make sure I would be safe. His dedication to the town was amazing. He really did care about the residents. I knew I kept going back and forth with myself, trying to decide if he was hiding something from me, but this time I really wasn't sure. He seemed so genuine and sincere. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe everything he told me today was the complete truth. And when I really thought about it, I didn't have any more reason to doubt him.

"Thank you," I said. He smiled at me. It had been such a long time since I saw him with a smile that reached his eyes that I couldn't stop myself from hugging him.

When Gill wrapped his arms around me in return I had never felt so certain. There was no way he could lie to me.

"Really, thank you. I was worried about you."

He pulled away and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's a little embarrassing to hear you say that. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can. I just don't like to see you do everything alone. You even said it yourself—it's nice to have advice sometimes."

Gill put his hand on my arm, his fingers light against my skin. "You have to stop being so suspicious. It's a weird feeling, like you don't trust me."

"I'm just worried about you."

"That makes me feel like a burden," he said, shaking his head. "But you're so much like her… I suppose if worrying makes you happy, I can't say I mind."

* * *

><p><em>AN: So I have to ask you guys something! I have quite a few future chapters written. I've been stalling, I think. I didn't quite want to get into the heavy stuff yet. But if that means I have to write more "how they got from point A to point B" chapters, then I don't know if I can wait anymore. Maybe something to lead into the action… but… I can't really think of any leisurely important events that are supposed to occur between now and the next big one. What do you think? Is it time to jump into more heavy stuff?_

_Anyway! Thank you all so so much for reading and reviewing! And welcome new readers to my story! I hope you like it, and don't be afraid to tell me what you think. I'm very grateful to for any and all feedback I receive. Also, I'm about to start university classes, so… there's my excuse for this late update. :( I'm sorry. But I will never give up!_

_Violet_


	27. Cocktail Tears

Kathy and Owen's wedding was scheduled for the end of summer. Since the day I kissed Luke, though, it seemed life was continuing on rather uneventfully. I slipped back into the routine of meeting Kathy and Luna for tea at the Tailor's Shop. On one such occasion I told Luna that I had asked Gill why he was being so obstinate, and I told her that he hadn't given me a firm answer. But she had heard about his collapse at the Inn and her worry overtook her annoyance.

During these afternoons we talked mostly about the wedding. Candace was designing the dress. Sometimes she took measurements while Luna and I crowded around to watch and maintain a fluid conversation. Candace never said anything, only mumbled polite directions around the pins between her puckered lips.

I spent the summer working on my farm and doing everything in my power to get Roscoe back. Gill helped me contact Sunshine Islands. First we tried telephone. That proved fruitless because Sunshine Islands didn't have long-distance calling capabilities. After that we tried radio transmission (which was ridiculous—_we _didn't monitor the radio, so why should we expect them to?) but only received static. Mail from outside the island only arrived biweekly, so I had to wait an entire week before I could send off a letter.

For the first time, I began to feel the ache that Gill felt regarding the island. There were no tourists. Not one person even remotely interested in visiting Castanet. I had been a fluke. If passenger boats frequented the island, retrieving Roscoe would've been much easier. But they didn't. Going to the city had been a special arrangement.

With Gill's help, I did everything I possibly could, just shy of physically leaving the island and swimming there myself.

It felt ironic that while Roscoe could have been suffering, my farm was thriving. Without him. When I first arrived, I imagined myself living on a farm complete with wheat fields, grazing cows, a salty breeze, and my little dog running underfoot enjoying it all. But as it was, I couldn't deny that my idyllic vision was nearly fulfilled. When I wasn't tending to my fields or Amelia, I fished in the river by my property and foraged for herbs to sell to the Clinic. The Fishery paid well for my catches, as did the Clinic for my medicinal finds. Eventually I was able to pay the carpenters to finish renovating my home.

That meant Luke spent a considerable amount of time around my house. Granted, he was working, but he was still here. We talked on our coincidentally timed breaks. He also used these opportunities to give me axe-swinging lessons. The kiss had changed nothing. Or if it had, he wasn't showing it.

Chase stopped being mad at me when I went to visit him with a gift of homemade orange juice. After that, I went to his house every few days to say hi and engage in an impromptu cooking lesson. It didn't really matter what we did. I just appreciated the time we got to spend together. And I was sure Chase enjoyed it too. Sometimes he visited me of his own volition for no particular reason. Usually then we trekked to Gill's house to drag him away for lunch or some other trivial matter in a pattern that we all soon grew to expect.

The remainder of the summer went by like this—refreshing and full of hard work. I became even closer to my friends. My farm's condition improved every day. Roscoe was the only thing missing from the picture.

Then, just days before the wedding, I realized that something was wrong. It was only natural, after so much bliss, that storm clouds began to gather.

I was at the bar after work, not to drink, but to have Chase's delicious pasta pescatore. It wasn't on the menu. This summer he had opened up the secret menu to me, which didn't actually exist and was merely the result of Chase getting bored with the current menu and giving me special permission to request dishes from his entire repertoire of recipes. Each recipe was handwritten and partially stained in one corner or another. I had marveled at his writing. Unlike the quick note he had left in my house months before, these recipes were scrawled in cursive. Tilted backward, to the left, the loops of his tail-characters sharp. I wanted to keep one for myself to have a piece of something his hands created. Something more permanent than pasta pescatore.

That night, walking through the doors of the Brass Bar hadn't given me any clues. Or maybe it had and I was just thinking about Chase, thinking that I was excited to see him, realizing that I was always thinking that I was excited to see him. The atmosphere and the people around me blended together and remained periphery. It wasn't until I took my seat at the bar that hints started nudging me.

Chase hadn't acknowledged my presence. He was facing the stove, his posture relaxed and slouched. This was unusual because even if he was busy, he at least glanced behind him to see who had taken a seat in his domain. He was tired, I decided. But there was something definitely off.

"Is it a good evening so far?" I asked.

He turned and somehow focused his amethyst eyes in such a way that made me transparent. "It's all right," he said. He wasn't tired. Or maybe he was. But even more than that, he was annoyed. A muscle in his face unrelentingly tugged the corner of his mouth downward.

I started to ask what was wrong, but he dropped slices of potato into a skillet, causing the oil to hiss and shush me. This left me with nothing to do but sit quietly. I didn't want to order my pasta pescatore anymore for fear of aggravating his already surly mood.

But I wouldn't be silenced by potatoes, so I raised my voice and asked, "Can I see your design for the cake?"

He didn't turn from the stove. I could barely perceive the shake of his head.

The response was so lackluster compared to yesterday when he was acting equal parts irritated and inspired by Kathy's request that _he _design, bake, and decorate her wedding cake. I could tell he was touched that she wanted him to do it. They really were friends, and it made me happy.

Today, though, Chase was listless.

"Well, do you have a design for it?" I was almost hanging over the bar.

"Mhm."

There was, without a doubt, something wrong with Chase tonight. I stopped talking after that and eventually ordered food.

While I ate, I watched his hands work. Yolanda would scold him. His fingers were clumsy and his wrists seemed stiff. The potato slices he slid onto a plate were unevenly cut.

Just before midnight, I ran out of patience and leaned over the counter as he wiped glasses. It was frustrating me because each glass still had water droplets coating the inside when he put them away.

"Hey, Chase?" I said, carefully measuring my tone. "Is something bothering you?"

He looked at me. His eyes were focused on me this time, but the silence dragged on. He seemed to be thinking deeply. Then the creases of his face smoothed and the sound he made was some sort of choked noise, like a scoff and a laugh and a sob all at once. But it wasn't really any of those things because a second later his face was blank.

He crossed his arms and his shoulders sagged in a deficient shrug. "You should go home."

"Why?"

"Don't worry about it," he said. The towel fluttered as he thrust his hands out in a gesture of surrender. "There's nothing you can do about it anyway. Hey—" He spun abruptly and strode toward the bar owner. "Hayden, it's okay if I take off early, right?"

The burly man furrowed his brow. "You have something you need to do?"

"Yeah."

Hayden narrowed his eyes at him but shrugged, and Chase walked around the bar, motioning for me to follow. I scrambled to dig money out of my pockets before he left me behind.

Once we were outside, the chilly night air seized us like a cage. He stopped in front of me and leaned with one hand on the side of the building. The muscle that persisted in pulling his mouth downward had relaxed. Now he wore an easy expression. I was confused, and had it been anyone else, I probably would have been scared.

Chase hummed in contemplation of something he wasn't yet ready to share. That's when I noticed his rosy complexion and realized the glass he kept near him all night hadn't been filled with water.

I instinctively placed my hands on his shoulders to steady him, although he hadn't shown a lack of balance. "You're a little tipsy, aren't you?"

"I don't know. How would I know?" He laughed and lifted his eyes skyward. "I was feeling kind of strange tonight, so I wanted that sensation, you know? Alcohol gives me philosophy and— and it detaches me. I had some stuff to figure out."

"It's illegal to drink on the job, isn't it?" I smiled. This really was unusual.

"Who's going to arrest me? Hamilton?"

"So it detaches you from what?"

"It's the feeling. I get the feeling of detachment," he said, obviously believing that was a sufficient response to my question. Then he amended, "I'm not drunk."

I shrugged, still smiling. "You figure some things out then?"

"No. It's worse now."

The expression on his face perplexed me. I'd never seen it before. Maybe it was the alcohol, but he looked lost, as if the thoughts going through his mind were not his. I was afraid. Not that he would hurt me, but for him. Something was wrong from the start of the night, and now it had morphed and disguised itself under a few drinks. He wasn't drunk, but he wasn't himself. I wished I had been able to find out what was wrong before it turned into this.

"I'm just going to say it, okay?" Chase dropped his hand from the wall and put his back to me so suddenly that it startled me. "For a long time… I felt… well, it doesn't matter what I felt. The point is, you moved here, and you told me that there was more to life than the mistakes I've made. You're always nice to me, so I started to believe it. You must do that to all sorts of people, and here I am thinking I'm special." He laughed at himself, turning to face me again. "Maybe that's why Luke kissed you. He could've been looking at you and thinking what I'm thinking right now. That I want to enjoy life because you make me feel like I deserve to. Weird, huh? I wouldn't kiss you, though, like this."

As he spoke, tension seemed to leach into every one of his muscles. I didn't know what to say, so I hugged him. He didn't sound like himself. Maybe I was supposed to laugh and wave it off as insignificant or simply appreciate his words as a rare kindness, but I couldn't ignore the growing tightness in my chest. Was he really still bothered by Luke's kiss? Or was it something else?

"Angela!" He appeared baffled. "I just said I can't kiss you."

"It's a hug, smarty." I held him tighter and pressed my face into the fabric of his shoulder. "Did something happen? You can tell me."

He stayed quiet. I felt his arms wrap around me, but he was focused on doing something. Rubbing his eyes, I realized. He made a small noise in his throat, and I looked up to see his eyes filled with tears.

The sight sent me into a panic. I'd never seen him cry before. If there was ever a time I thought he would cry, it was the evening I confessed the truth about the house and the fire. But he didn't, and I began to believe I never would see him cry. Not perpetually bored, disenchanted Chase.

"You're… crying," I said. "I'm sorry… Earlier, I didn't mean—"

"I'm not crying." He blinked and the tears disappeared, except for one that fell down his cheek. "I just have to know. How do you feel about Gill?"

I pulled away and started to walk down the path, wanting to guide him home. "I like him. You know that. We're friends."

"Okay, but you— you can't— think about your children. Think about what they'll look like."

"What are you talking about?" A laugh forced its way out of my mouth. I looped my arm with his and squeezed. "Gill's good looking. His kids would be cute. Is that really upsetting? You'll have cute kids too."

Chase drug a sleeve across his face. "But his dad… those are the kind of genes he has, you know?"

I laughed. I couldn't help it. He laughed, too, but only because I did. He was serious. I put my arm around his back and clutched the shirt fabric near his hip. "Why is this making you cry?"

"I'm not crying," he scoffed and shook his head. "I'm not…" He reached up to touch his cheek. "I don't know. It doesn't have anything to do with what I'm saying. I'm not crying over Gill and his stupid, ugly children." He sniffed. "That's sad. I'm sorry."

"It's all right. Let me walk you home. I think you just drank a little too much." I was glad it was so late and the paths were deserted. I wouldn't have wanted anyone to see us and assume anything, or to see Chase and give him a hard time about this later.

He pressed his face into the crook of his elbow and stayed like that for a few seconds. A huge sigh accompanied the removal of his sleeve from his eyes. "I'm okay. I'm better, I swear. But don't you like me more this way? It's like— whoa—" He almost missed a patch of uneven ground, causing me to shake my head and hold his arm more firmly. "Lately I'm trying not to be charming so you don't fall in love with me. 'Cause everyone dies. Someday I'll die, or maybe you'll die, and then if we're in love, one of us will be destroyed. And Gill doesn't realize that. I was worried you had fallen in love with him. Or Luke. No one gets it."

"It's all right," I said again. "I love Gill, but I'm not in love with him. And I love you, too. Don't worry."

Chase shrugged, his eyes red but now dry.

We walked on in silence for a while until he cleared his throat. We were on the far south side of my property. I wanted to keep walking to Flute Fields, but he stopped.

"Do you think I'm too drunk to kiss you?" he asked.

I swallowed. "Do you think you'll regret it tomorrow?"

After a moment of consideration, he stepped closer to me. I shut my eyes as his warmth engulfed me. His arms folded me inside his embrace. I felt his lips on my forehead, and instantly the carefulness, the understanding of my nature he seemed to inherently possess, both relieved and surprised me like the feeling of a pillow under my head after an exhausting day. I might have cried, but the acrid scent of alcohol was strong on his breath.

He put his fingers to his lips and said, "You don't want a kiss that tastes like liquor."

My mouth curled into a smile. "You're sober enough to act like a gentleman, but drunk enough—"

"Drunk enough to cry over Gill's snot-nosed spawn, sober enough to remember it later. I guess I should go to bed before I start stripping out here."

"You want to tell me what's wrong?"

He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. After a few seconds, he shook his head.

I put my hands on his collar and smoothed it down. "It'll be okay," I told him. "Whatever it is, I'm here for you."

"Don't tell me that." Chase spoke gently, his fingers wrapping around my arms and lowering them. His eyes, anxious and tired, flickered over mine and resolved to stare at the ground. "You might regret saying it."

A shiver passed through my body. Surely he was exaggerating. "You should go home," I said. "But promise you'll be careful."

He didn't move, and I realized what a mistake I had made. He was upset. He had turned to alcohol to take his mind off whatever was bothering him. And all night, I had been probing him to tell me, preventing him from forgetting for even a minute.

"Wait." I caught his arm. "Don't go home. It's late, but do you want to watch a movie? I don't know what it is, but I found one in the cabinet when I moved here. And actually, I don't have a TV."

His mouth pulled into a half-smile. "It's been a long time since I've seen a movie. And, conveniently, I do have a TV."

It took only a few minutes to walk the remainder of the way to my house and retrieve the VHS from the cabinet. It was missing a jacket, but the title didn't sound too terrible: _Set Free._

At Chase's house, I rewound the tape while he arranged pillows so we had something to lean against when we sat on his bed.

The movie started. As I settled in next to him, an aerial shot of a suburban cul-de-sac panned onto the screen. A teenage girl with purple hair walked down a street, passing manicured lawns and hedges and soccer-mom minivans. A man stood in his front yard watering his grass. He waved; she didn't wave back.

"I bet her parents are divorced," Chase said. He was reclining against a pillow mound, his head resting on his hand.

The next scene showed the girl's mother, a businesswoman, scolding her for doing poorly in school while cradling a telephone between her neck and shoulder. The girl, who we now knew was named Miranda, made a few snide comments and her mother threatened to call her father.

Beside me, Chase smiled. "Ooh, scary."

"I bet her dad lives on a ranch," I said, "and her mom is going to send her there for summer break."

Ten minutes later, my prediction came true. This movie was terrible. It was a typical Hallmark horse movie—once you've seen one, you could write the next one.

"She's going to fall in love with a horse named Halcyon."

"No, no." Chase was laughing. "It has to be cornier than that. Magic."

_That horse there is Whisper, _the thickly-mustached dad announced in his gruff, country accent._ He's a wild one. Won't let nobody near him._

I laughed so hard I cried.

Miranda kept her hair purple for nearly a third of the movie. Then she began to learn from Whisper, how something wild could be tamed. She dyed her hair a natural brown and denied that her time on the ranch had anything to do with it. Meanwhile, the cameraman reminded us between important scenes of the wild glint in Whisper's eye, and Miranda's prolonged, distant stares told us she knew he belonged to the hills.

"Her dad's gonna sell him," Chase said.

"But he belongs to the wild!"

We watched raptly for about fifteen minutes, and then the plot twist came. Neither of us could have predicted it. When Miranda was able to gain Whisper's trust and approach him, she made a shocking discovery. He was actually a she.

Chase was speechless. His bewildered face made me laugh until I couldn't breathe.

"I can't watch this," I wheezed.

"This— this guy—" he jabbed his index finger at the TV "—needs his ranching license revoked. How dumb do you have to be to mix that up? I can't watch this either. It's nauseating me. Skip to the end."

The people, scurrying and flailing at twice the normal speed, renewed our laughter. After a few minutes of that, I pressed play and we entered upon a dark, rainy scene.

Miranda's father was trying to rescue Whisper from a mudslide while Miranda cried in the background.

Something touched my arm and I flinched. It was Chase. We were both lounging in quite inelegant positions, and in the midst of seeking comfort, his arm pressed against mine. I wasn't sure if he knew he was doing it, but I wasn't about to move.

We stayed like that for the rest of the movie. Whisper was saved and released into the wild. Miranda went back to suburbia a changed teen. Her mom was so impressed that she promised to let Miranda visit her dad every summer. When the credits began rolling, Chase slid off the bed and padded to the kitchen.

I rewound the movie (I didn't know why; I was never going to watch it again) and went to see what he was doing.

"The movie inspired you, huh?" I asked when I found him standing over the stove.

"Nah, I've wanted crepes since this morning. But it did remind me that I never had a rebellious phase. I never got to dye my hair purple."

"It's not too late," I said. "Maybe Julius can let you have his leftover dye."

He smiled, and I watched him until the crepes were finished. They were small, drizzled with chocolate and dusted with powdered sugar. My mouth wept in desperation at the sight.

We sat together and ate.

"This crepe is luscious. How did—" I stopped. He was smirking at me, and he didn't look like he was going to say anything. "Do I have chocolate on my face?"

Chase shook his head. "I was just wondering… Do you want to see something? I don't want you to cry, though."

He looked so pleased that it seemed ridiculous that whatever he was going to show me would make me cry. I smiled. "Yeah."

Chase went into his bedroom and returned with a photograph. He set it on the table in front of me and sat down, propping his elbows on the table.

It was a picture of two children. A boy and a girl. Chase and Ally.

The ages marked on the bottom border were eight and four. Her real name was Alyce. Her hair, a shade darker than his, was braided loosely and tied with a brown ribbon. Her small hand clutched his sleeve. She was gazing up at him. Her eyes were concerned, or curious, or amazed. I wasn't sure which.

"She was telling me to smile," Chase said. His voice startled me. I looked up and smiled to let him know that I wasn't going to cry, but I felt like it.

In the photo, his focus was on something behind the camera. He wasn't smiling. On his face was his signature blank, bored expression—the one Luke nicknamed the Chase Face. The fact that some things about him hadn't changed filled me with happiness.

"I left that picture behind at my foster home when I ran away," he said. "I was so mad at myself, but now I'm glad. It would've been destroyed in the fire. They brought it to me when I was in the hospital."

I set the picture down. He was smiling a loose, genuine smile that made me want to grab his collar and kiss him. His face looked brighter and cheerier than I'd ever seen it, and I almost did.

"Thank you," I said. "I'm glad you showed me. Ally is beautiful."

His smile grew, but he never said anything. I stared at him, wishing I could understand what he was thinking.

Then it hit me.

He was proud of his sister. He wanted to show me the person he loved so much, how beautiful she was, how her eyes shined when she looked at him. Tonight it wasn't about what he lost. It was about what made him happy.

"She looks a lot like you." I held the photo out to him.

"You don't have to do that," he said.

Immediately I drew my hand back. "What?"

"You're talking in the present. I know you're doing it on purpose, and you don't have to."

I gave a sheepish smile. "I wish things could've been different. I wish I could've gotten to know you then, and her. We would've had a lot of fun. Maybe my parents would've adopted you. We might be brother and sister right now. The only problem with that is we probably would never have met Gill."

"No Gill? That would be a real shame." Chase leaned back and blinked at the ceiling, but he was smiling. "This is stupid."

I put my hand on his arm.

"You would've liked her. I promise. Everyone would have liked her." He put his forehead in his palm. "Now that you mentioned Gill, I just thought… what if everything you said happened and we did all end up here? What if my sister married Gill and they had kids? What would they look like? I can't imagine it."

"The world would go to war over that child's beauty."

"Unless Hamilton's genes dominate. Oh man…" Chase laughed and laid his head on his outstretched arm. He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes. Tears beaded on his lashes. "I miss her so much. Sometimes it hurts."

I rested my chin on my folded arms.

"If you miss your pal Roscoe even half as much as I miss Ally, that's miserable," he said. "I want to help you get him back. He's still out there and you can't give up on him. Not when he's waiting for you to save him."

It wasn't fair. I wanted to do the same for him, but I couldn't. He knew this. He knew I could've called for help and saved her, and he knew that it was impossible to fix anything now. And he still said he wanted to help me.

Earlier I told him I wouldn't cry, but that was a promise I couldn't keep.

* * *

><p><em>AN: OH MY GOODNESS_

_I am so sorry I haven't updated in such a long time. I finished my first semester at the university and finally had a free day to work on this and get it uploaded. If you're still sticking with the story—thank you so much! This time I can almost guarantee the next chapter will come faster (my mom is actually making me finish this story, lol). So please please let me know your thoughts via a message or a review! Thank you! I hope you're all having a great month :D_

_~ Violet_


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